Defensive lineman Mathieu Betts from Montreal, Quebec, is still a member of the Lions. After a sensational 2023 Canadian Football League season with the British Columbia Lions, Betts signed a contract with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League on Tuesday Canadian Press.
In 2023, Betts had 42 defensive tackles, two special teams tackles and 18 sacks for the Lions. He won the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award, was a CFL All-Star and set the record for most sacks by a Canadien in a season. Betts broke the record of 17 sacks previously set by Brent Johnson of Kingston, Ontario and Jamaal Westerman of Brampton, Ontario. Johnson had 17 sacks with the Lions in 2005 and Westerman had 17 sacks with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2015.
Betts previously tried to make it to the Chicago Bears. He signed a three-year contract with them in 2019, but was cut on August 31, 2019 and never played a CFL game. In addition to his final two seasons with the British Columbia Lions in 2022 and 2o23, Betts played three seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos/Elks from 2019-2021.
Betts also had a distinguished Canadian university career. He won two Vanier Cups with the Laval Rouge et Or in 2016 and 2018. Betts also won the Peter Gorman Trophy (USport Football Rookie of the Year) in 2015 and the JP Metras Trophy (best Canadian university player) three years in a row starting in 2016. lineman). until 2018.
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