The B.C. Lions have added American defensive backs Parnell Motley and Rico Gafford to their practice roster.
Motley recorded two defensive tackles with the Calgary Stampeders last season as he dressed for one game with the club. He has since been a member of the DC Defenders, New Orleans Breakers, Toronto Argonauts, and Montreal Alouettes.
The six-foot, 184-pound defender went unselected in the 2020 NFL Draft before joining the San Francisco 49ers. He spent time on the team’s practice roster before dressing for two games with the Denver Broncos later that season. He later appeared in training camp with the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns.
The native of Washington, DC spent his four-year collegiate career at Oklahoma where he made 176 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for a loss, 39 pass knockdowns, six interceptions, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. He also suited up in the Rose Bowl against Georgia in 2017 and the Orange Bowl against Alabama in 2018.
Gafford went unselected in the 2018 NFL Draft and joined the Oakland Raiders as a free agent following his release from the Tennessee Titans. He suited up in four games with the Raiders at receiver and made two receptions for 66 yards.
The five-foot-eleven, 182-pound cover man moved on from the Raiders in 2021 and had stints on practice rosters with the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Green Bay Packers. He spent time with the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL earlier this year as a receiver.
The Des Moines, Iowa native finished his collegiate career at Wyoming where he made 103 total tackles, 11 pass knockdowns, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one touchdown over 27 games with the Cowboys.
The Lions have also released American running back B.J. Baylor from their practice squad.
The five-foot-ten, 202-pound ball-carrier rushed for 1,718 yards and 18 touchdowns in 41 games with the Oregon State Beavers. He led the Pac-12 in rushing as a redshirt junior in 2021 and named first-team All-Conference.
The B.C. Lions (10-4) will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-8) on Friday, Sept. 29 with kickoff slated for 10:30 p.m. EDT.
