From free agent to Grey Cup, veteran Lemon takes game to next level with Alouettes

HAMILTON – Veteran Montreal defensive lineman Shawn Lemon went through his practice paces as music blared through the Tim Hortons Field speakers on Friday, preparing for the fourth Grey Cup appearance of his career just five months after being a free agent without a team.

Lemon began the season with the BC Lions, coming off a 2022 campaign with the Calgary Stampeders that saw him tally a career-best 14 quarterback sacks. He also earned CFL All-Star honours and was the West Division nominee for the Canadian Football League’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player award.

Even with all the success he had a year prior, Lemon was released by the Lions during training camp in May. He waited several weeks before the Alouettes came calling in July, finally suiting up for his new team in Week 8 against the Stampeders.

Watch and stream the 110th Grey Cup between the Blue Bombers and the Alouettes on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT with pre-game coverage beginning at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT LIVE on TSN1/3/5, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.

Confident in his abilities, Lemon knew that he would be back on the field again. He stayed ready by working out with his twin nephews and waited for the phone to ring.

"I'm a junkie for the game of football," he said following practice Friday as the team gears up to face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 110th Grey Cup. "Just waiting for the right opportunity and thankful this one came along."

Lemon said there was interest from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but the team decided to go in a different direction. Taking in the fact he was gearing up to run out of the tunnel onto the Ticats’ turf come Grey Cup Sunday, Lemon couldn't help but relish the moment.

"That's how life works sometimes," he said.

An 11-year veteran, there isn't much around the game that catches the Charleston, S.C., native off guard anymore. Reuniting with fellow Akron Zip and third-year Alouettes defensive lineman Almondo Sewell made his transition to Montreal that much easier.

"Having a familiar face in the locker room has been nothing but amazing," Lemon said.

Known for his No. 40 jersey, Lemon broke from tradition when he got Montreal, opting for a more personal No. 0 because it was more in tune with his mindset.

"[There's] a lot of significance with my number," Lemon said. "It had to do with a guy like Russell Westbrook. He's bounced around a lot in the NBA, but his play, his production, has been high everywhere."

Lemon's addition to the Alouettes’ defence took the unit to another level. He accounted for nine of the team's 41 total sacks during the regular season despite playing in just 13 games.

In Week 18 on Thanksgiving Monday against the Ottawa Redblacks, Lemon pulled down quarterback Dustin Crum to become just the 13th player in CFL history to reach 100 sacks, joining names like Odell Willis (101), Rodney Harding (105), and Tyrone Jones (110).

"It was sort of a surreal moment," Lemon said of reaching the career milestone. "It still hasn't really sunk in yet, but we'll celebrate it after this Grey Cup."

Lemon's impact has not been exclusive to the regular season. He recorded a pair of sacks in the East Semifinal against the Tiger-Cats and one against the Argonauts a week later.

"It's a lot of fun," he said about playing in an Alouettes’ defence that held the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Chad Kelly and the Argonauts to 17 points in the East Final.  "A lot of young guys are flying around. Coach [Noel] Thorpe does a great job with a game plan. He understands how to use us and in the scheme of his defence. I think he's one of the guys that will get enough credit around this league, and he's been doing a tremendous job all season."

While he may be 35 years old, Lemon dismissed the idea of this season having a fairytale-like ending and riding off into the sunset if he wins the Grey Cup on Sunday.

"Absolutely not," he said definitively on any potential retirement. "I’m playing probably my best football right now.”