Matt Smith/CFL.ca
HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announce Wednesday the football club has signed American defensive end J.R. Tavai.
Tavai, 28, started nine games at defensive end for the BC Lions in 2021, registering 18 total tackles, including 15 defensive tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback sacks, one pass knockdown and one forced fumble.
The 6-2, 269-pound native of Inglewood, California has played 31 career Canadian Football League games over three seasons with the Lions (2021) and Ottawa REDBLACKS (2018-19) totalling 84 tackles, 73 defensive tackles, 10 quarterback sacks and five forced fumbles.
2022 FREE AGENCY
» Official Free Agent Tracker
» Sudden Impact: A team-by-team look at free agency
» CFL.ca’s Top 30 Pending Free Agents
Tavai spent two seasons with the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans (2015-16), playing in four games and registering three tackles, one sack and one forced fumble. Prior to turning pro he played 40 games over four seasons at the University of Southern California (2011-15) registering 130 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, three pass knockdowns, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
