Lions extend National OL Andrew Peirson, sign three

CFL.ca Staff

VANCOUVER — The BC Lions announced on Monday that the team has signed veteran National offensive lineman Andrew Peirson to a two-year contract extension. Peirson was eligible to become a free agent in February.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to continue my career with the only organization I’ve ever known,” Peirson said. “From both an individual and a team standpoint, we took major steps in 2022 and I can’t wait to get back to camp and continue building toward the ultimate goal.”

Peirson enters his fifth season with the club after originally signing as an undrafted free agent prior to the start of the team’s 2018 training camp. The Kingston, Ontario native would go on to start at centre for the final five regular season games and the Eastern Semi-Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in his rookie season.

After dressing for one game during the 2019 campaign, Peirson has suited up in every contest since the beginning of 2021 and earned a pair of starts at right guard this past season.

One of the club’s top community ambassadors each and every year, Peirson is a two-time finalist for the CFL’s Tom Pate Memorial Award.

The Lions also announced the signings of three Americans to the roster, including defensive lineman Alex McCalister, wide receiver Devin Lucien and defensive back Joshua Flowers.

McCallster was most recently a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, suiting up for one game in 2019 where he recorded one defensive tackle. A seventh-round draft pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2016 NFL Draft, McCalister also spent time on the Washington Commanders practice squad before being waived in 2018. In 27 games over three seasons with the Florida Gators, the defensive end recorded 52 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for a loss, 12.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles.

Lucien signed with the Bombers ahead of 2020, but did not suit up after the cancellation of the season. Drafted in the seventh-round of the NFL Draft by New England in 2016, Lucien spent his rookie season on the practice squad and would earn a Super Bowl ring. He went on to have stints with Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Houston before a stop in the Alliance of American Football with Memphis in early 2019. During his senior year of college football, the receiver transferred from UCLA to Arizona State in 2015 and hauled in 66 receptions for 1,075 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games with the Sun Devils.

Flowers joins the Lions after signing as an undrafted free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars and attending mini-camp in early 2022. Flowers transferred from LIU Post to Winston Salem State for his junior and senior seasons of college football, registering five interceptions, 62 total tackles and 15 pass knockdowns in 18 games.

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