The B.C. Lions have signed veteran NFL linebacker Tyrell Adams to their training camp roster.
The 31-year-old has played in 44 career NFL games and made 14 starts at linebacker, with the majority coming as a member of the Houston Texans. He amassed 163 total tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and four forced fumbles.
The six-foot-two, 228-pound defender was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Seattle Seahawks following the 2015 NFL Draft and bounced between them and the Kansas City Chiefs practice roster as a rookie. He would join the Oakland Raiders mid-way through the following season and see his first action, appearing in 12 games over two years, before unsuccessful stops with the Buffalo Bills and Indianapolis Colts.
Adams joined the Texans late in the 2018 season and played four games before being waived, finishing the year on the San Francisco 49ers practice squad. He returned to Houston the following season for the most successful stretch of his career, totalling 25 games played and all 14 career starts. He later had brief second stints with the Bills and 49ers, before playing his final two games with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021 and wrapping up his NFL tenure on the Colts’ practice squad.
The native of Atlanta, Ga. was a member of the XFL’s Seattle Sea Dragons in 2023, appearing in five games between the regular season and playoffs. He was credited with 25 tackles.
Prior to his professional career, Adams played four seasons at the University of West Georgia, where he was a two-time first-team All-Gulf South Conference selection and Division II All-American.
In addition to Adams, the Lions also signed American defensive back Justin Ford.
The six-foot-two, 200-pound was a two-time unanimous FCS All-American selection and first-team All-Big Sky honouree during his time at the University of Montana. He played in 28 games for the Griz from 2020 to 2022, notching 84 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 11 interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, 28 pass breakups and three fumble recoveries. He previously spent a redshirt season at the University of Louisville after transferring from Golden West Community College.
Ford went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft and did not sign an undrafted free agent contract after mini-camp tryouts with the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings. He later agreed to terms with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers but did not see action before that league was folded into the XFL.
The Lions will open their season on Sunday, June 9 when they visit the Toronto Argonauts.
