B.C. Lions: Justin McInnis is quite the catch for the season opener
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Justin McInnis knows who will have the biggest pre-game impact Saturday at B.C. Place.
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After all, the B.C. Lions' standout wide receiver understands that you can't beat legendary American rapper Snoop Dogg to get more than 50,000 fans jacked for the club's CFL opener against the Edmonton Elks.
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'I'm excited,' McInnis said Thursday following practice. 'I grew up listening to Snoop. But honestly, I'm one of the weirder guys on the team. I don't wear headphones on game day or anything like that. I just like to soak up the crowd and be in the pre-game environment.
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McInnis will do his part to entertain when the ball is snapped. And that could also be quite the show after a career season in 2024.
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McInnis led all receivers last campaign in league yardage with 1,469, and was the first Canadian since Andy Fantuz in 2010 to lead that category. He was also second with 92 receptions and third in touchdown grabs with seven. His yards total was second highest by a Canadian member of the Lions after Matt Clark (1,530 yards), and the eighth-best for a Canadian all-time.
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The 28-year-old Pierrefonds, Que., native is an imposing target for quarterback Nathan Rourke with a 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame and plenty of zip and zag to leave defensive backs in his wake, or use his vertical skills to out-contest any defender. He did that in practice Wednesday and it bodes well as a weapon.
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'The best part of my game is I've got to use my height,' said McInnis. 'I'm not the fastest in the league, and I'm not able to do a lot of things that smaller guys can do. I'm always going to continuously work on getting better body control and things that will be a big advantage.'
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Add a full-season pull with Rourke, who spent the last two seasons with four NFL teams before returning to the Lions last August, and the dynamic duo could develop the kind of chemistry to intimidate and dominate.
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'Even in the off-season, we threw quite a bit, and at training camp,' said McInnis. 'One thing I like about Nate is that he's always communicating about things he sees and likes, and how he wants us to run certain routes. At the end of the day, it's being on the same page and he does a great job of expressing that.
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Toronto Star
37 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Feelings come 'roaring back' for former CFL star quarterback Doug Flutie in Calgary
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CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Less stress, more swagger: QB Nathan Rourke aiming to have fun with new-look Lions
B.C. Lions head coach Buck Pierce speaks to players as they huddle together before a pre-season CFL football game against the Calgary Stampeders in Langford, B.C. on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) VANCOUVER — Nathan Rourke is trying to add a little something to his game this season — the B.C. Lions quarterback wants to have more fun. 'That's a little bit of a goal for myself, trying to play a little bit more loose and not take things so seriously. So, trying to have a little bit more fun out there,' he said. 'And when you try to have fun, you probably end up doing that and actually having fun.' Last season didn't go the way Rourke or the Lions expected. The Canadian QB wasn't on B.C.'s roster to start the campaign as he worked to land a permanent job in the NFL. He re-signed with the Lions — where he had a standout campaign in 2022 — in mid-August, but struggled in his return. B.C. finished with a 9-9 regular-season record. Vancouver hosted the Grey Cup, but hopes of a home-team win were quashed when the Saskatchewan Roughriders downed the Lions in the West semifinal. B.C. will kick off a new campaign on Saturday when they host a revamped Edmonton Elks side. With a full training camp behind him and new head coach Buck Pierce at the helm, the 27-year-old Rourke believes this year could be different. 'I feel good. Body feels good. I'm excited about Buck's offence,' he said. 'It's been fun to practice these last couple of days and in training camp. Guys are excited about it. So hopefully that excitement just continues and turns into points.' Pierce, a former CFL quarterback and longtime assistant coach with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was named B.C.'s head coach and offensive coordinator in December, replacing Rick Campbell. The entire league has long envied the offence Pierce crafted for the Blue Bombers, said Lions defensive back Garry Peters. 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So for me, seeing all the guys focusing more on the details, it just gets me excited for what's to come.' 2024 record: 9-9-0, third, West Division Did you know?: Rap icon and noted sports fan Snoop Dogg will perform before the Lions' season opener on Saturday. More than 50,000 fans are expected to take in the concert — and the game — at B.C. Place. Key additions: RB James Butler (Hamilton), OL Dejon Allen (Toronto), LB Micah Awe (Calgary), QB Jeremiah Masoli (Ottawa) Key losses: QB Vernon Adams Jr. (Calgary), WR Alexander Hollins (free agent), FB David Mackie (retired), RB William Stanback (Ottawa), LB Ryder Varga (Toronto) Players to watch: Rourke, Butler, DL Mathieu Betts, WR Justin McInnis This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith of The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
3 Canadian national team players among the Whitecaps stricken by illness
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