BCLions.com Staff

VANCOUVER -- The BC Lions announced this morning that return specialist and running back Tim Brown has signed a contract extension with the team.

Brown appeared in all 18 regular season games for the Lions in 2012 and was named to the West Division All-Star team after notching 914 punt return yards (second overall), 1,303 kick-off return yards (third overall) and 165 missed field goal return yards (fourth overall). The total of 2,382 kick return yards was the ninth-best performance in league history.

“Tim has been one of our most consistent players over the past two seasons,” said Lions VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono. “His big play capability and determination to get positive yards on every return has been a crucial element of our success and we’re counting on more from Tim in 2013.”

A threat to score from anywhere on the field, Brown’s 2,687 all purpose yards in 2012 (kick return yards combined with rushing and receiving yards) were second only to Toronto’s Chad Owens and represents the second-highest single season performance in Lions history behind Ian Smart’s 2,744 yards in 2008. The lofty numbers also rank him in the top 30 single season combine yard totals all-time (27th).

“This is a fantastic day for me,” said Brown from his offseason home in the U.S.. “I’m thankful for what my teammates allowed me to accomplish as an individual these past two seasons and I’m already thinking about next season and what we can achieve as a team.”

Among the CFL’s all-purpose yard leaders, Brown actually ranked first overall with an average of 15.9 yards per attempt, placing him ahead of both 2012 CFL Most Outstanding Player Chad Owens (15.3) and Outstanding Special Teams Player Chris Williams (15.7).

Tim has also led the West Division in all-purpose yards in each of the last two seasons, a feat performed only twice before in Lions history while his 1,172 kick return yards in the second half of the 2012 season was unmatched in the CFL.