Lions News

The BC Lions Football Club is pleased to announce that linebackers Solomon Elimimian and Adam Bighill have both signed contract extensions through the 2017 season.

“When you can secure two of our league’s best defensive players with long-term contracts, it’s a very special day,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “Solomon and Adam are impact players who not only make our defence extremely difficult to play against, they also bring the kind of leadership needed to form the foundation of a championship team.”

Elimimian comes off a historic 2014 campaign which saw the five-year pro set a new CFL record for defensive tackles in a season with 143 and ultimately earn the league’s Most Outstanding Player Award along with the Most Outstanding Defensive Player nod. Heading into his sixth year with the club, Elimimian has played 71 regular season games and sits in third spot all-time among former Lions with 430 total tackles including 27 on special teams to go along with 17 sacks and six interceptions.

“I’ve never been more proud to be a Lion and I am very happy to be part of this organization moving forward. I want nothing more than to put on that orange jersey and help win championships for our fans,” said Elimimian. “It’s also very special to be doing this today with Adam. Playing alongside him is like playing beside your brother and it means the world to me that we are able to do this extension together.”

Originally joining the Lions as a free agent in 2011, Bighill enters his fifth season with the club and has logged 63 regular season appearances notching 280 defensive tackles, 24 sacks, 62 special teams tackles, six forced fumbles and six interceptions.

“I’m thrilled to sign this extension and know that I am a Lion through 2017,” said Bighill. “Playing football in BC with the core group we have here means you have an opportunity to win a Grey Cup every season and that’s our ultimate goal. Knowing I get to do that with Solomon makes it that much better.”

The BC Lions Football Club announced this morning that Canadian defensive back Chris Rwabukamba (pronounced Ruh-buh-kahm-ba) has signed as a free agent with the team.

The Duke University grad moves west after spending the last two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos where he notched 40 defensive tackles and two interceptions over 29 regular season games, 18 as a starter in the Edmonton secondary.

The talented defensive back was originally drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2010 (4^th round, 27^th overall) and spent the 2011 and 2012 campaigns with the Black and Gold appearing in 20 games, eight as a starter.

“Chris is a veteran defensive back who can play both corner and safety which gives us depth at those key positions,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono.