The B.C. Lions have signed three American players, including offensive lineman Ulumoo Ale, defensive lineman Xavier Henderson, and defensive back Myles Brooks.
Ale was raised in Australia where he became a three-time Golden Gloves heavyweight boxing champion. He eventually moved to the United States, where he attended Fife High School in Fife, Wa. before committing to the University of Washington as a three-star recruit in 2018.
The six-foot-six, 330-pound played along the offensive and defensive lines for the Huskies, finishing his collegiate career with 29 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two pass knockdowns, and one sack over 55 games. He made 10 starts along the offensive line at guard and 12 starts at defensive tackle.
In 2024, Ale attended training camp with the Carolina Panthers as a defensive lineman.
Henderson played collegiately at Texas A&M-Kingsville where he made 153 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, six pass knockdowns, one forced fumble, and one blocked field goal over 45 games. The six-foot-one, 320-pound defender was named first-team All-Lone Star Conference as a senior.
Brooks played one game with the Montreal Alouettes in 2024, making one special teams tackle.
The six-foot-one, 198-pound defender signed with the Dallas Cowboys after going unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft but was waived following training camp. He was named second-team All-CUSA in 2022 as a member of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, earning an invitation to the NFL Combine.
The B.C. Lions finished third in the West Division in 2024 with a record of 9-9 before losing to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Semi-Final. The team will open its 2025 regular season by hosting the Edmonton Elks at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff slated for 8:00 p.m. EDT.
