Shawn Lemon (born August 25, 1988) is a

Canadian football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

defensive lineman who is currently a member of the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). He played college football at the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

and attended Westlake High School in

Waldorf, Maryland Waldorf is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of the Southern Maryland region. It is an urban area, with a popul ...

. He has also been a member of eight CFL teams (

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

, Eskimos / Elks,

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (French: Le Rouge et Noir d'Ottawa) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Starting ...

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...

, and

) three arena football teams (

San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...

Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...

Sioux Falls Storm The Sioux Falls Storm are a professional indoor football team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Storm joined the original Indoor Football League as an expansion team in 1999 as the Sioux Falls Cobras, and first took the field for the 2000 ...

) and two NFL teams ( Pittsburgh Steelers,

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

Early years

Lemon was born on August 25, 1988, in Charleston, South Carolina. His family moved to Waldorf Maryland and he participated in football, basketball and track and field for the Westlake High School Wolverines. He broke the single-season at Westlake and the

Southern Maryland Athletic Conference The Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) is a high school athletic league in Maryland, comprising the public secondary and high schools throughout Southern Maryland. The SMAC's membership consists of the following schools located in Calver ...

record with 21 sacks. Lemon recorded 97 tackles as a senior and was named first team All-Metro. He was also named to the Maryland Big School All-State second team. He accrued 80 tackles, 16 sacks, and two interceptions as a junior in 2004, being named second team All-Metro.

College career

Lemon played college football for the

Akron Zips Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city pr ...

of the University of Akron. He was an All-

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...

selection as a senior, leading the team with seven sacks and four fumble recoveries. He ended his college career with 102 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.

Professional career

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

On July 18, 2011, Lemon was signed to the practice roster of the

of the CFL. He was released by the Blue Bombers on July 21, 2011.

Saskatchewan Roughriders

Lemon signed with the CFL's

on August 10, 2011. He made his CFL debut on September 11, 2011 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was released by the Roughriders on September 21, 2011.

San Jose SaberCats

Lemon was assigned to the

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...

(AFL) on March 11, 2012.

Orlando Predators

Lemon was traded to the

on April 18, 2012. He was reassigned by the Predators on May 8, 2012.

Sioux Falls Storm

Lemon signed with the

of the

Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a professional indoor American football league created in 2008 out of the merger between the Intense Football League and United Indoor Football. It has one of the largest number of currently active teams am ...

after his release from the Predators.

Edmonton Eskimos

Lemon spent the 2012 season with the (then named) Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL. He was released by Edmonton on May 22, 2013.

Calgary Stampeders

Lemon signed with the

of the CFL on June 2, 2013. He played six games in 2013, recording 18 tackles, three quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. He was on the reserve list for twelve games. Lemon recorded six tackles in the Western Final. He started all 18 games for the Stampeders in 2014, recording 13 sacks, five tackles for a loss and eight forced fumbles (CFL League Record) . He also totaled 31 tackles, a special-teams tackle and an interception. Lemon was named the Defensive Player of the Week for Week 15 when he recorded three tackles, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in a victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Stampeders won the

102nd Grey Cup The 102nd Grey Cup was a Canadian football game played November 30, 2014, between the West Division champion Calgary Stampeders and East Division champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats, to determine the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship for the ...

against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on November 30, 2014. On January 19, 2015, the Stampeders released Lemon, allowing him to become a

free-agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

and pursue employment opportunities in the NFL. Shawn_Lemon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Lemon agreed to a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) on January 20, 2015. He was released by the Steelers on August 3, 2015.

San Francisco 49ers

Lemon was signed by the NFL's

on August 8, 2015. He was released by the 49ers on August 31, 2015. He was listed as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

during his time with the Steelers and 49ers.

Ottawa Redblacks

On September 3, 2015, Lemon signed with the

of the CFL. He is expected to start at defensive end for Ottawa. Lemon played in the last half of the season with the Redblacks, contributing five quarterback sacks during the regular season. He was released by the Redblacks on December 4 so he could pursue NFL opportunities.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (II)

Lemon was signed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders on January 15, 2016. Lemon was listed as the third-string defensive end for opening night, effectively confirming rumours that Lemon was unhappy with the Roughriders coaching staff. Following a week 1 defeat Lemon asked to be traded.

Toronto Argonauts

After reports that Lemon was not happy in Saskatchewan, Lemon was traded to the

on July 2, 2016, after playing limited reps in only one game for the Roughriders. Lemon and a conditional

2018 CFL Draft The 2018 CFL Draft took place on May 3, 2018, at 8:00 pm ET and was broadcast on TSN and RDS... Sixty-nine players were chosen from among eligible players from Canadian Universities across the country, as well as Canadian players playing i ...

pick were sent to the Argonauts in exchange for

Mitchell Gale Mitchell Gale (born January 7, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Abilene Christian University and attended Alva High School in Alva, Oklahoma. Gale has been a member of the Toronto Argonauts, Hamilto ...

and Matt Sewell. Lemon played in 16 games for the Argos during the 2016 season and finished tied for second in the CFL with 14 sacks. He was recognized by his peers for his performance and was named a CFL East Division All-Star. On December 1, 2016 Lemon and the Argos agreed on a contract extension which will keep him with the 'double-blue' through the 2018 CFL season. Lemon was hampered by injury during 2017, and was the only starter on Toronto's defensive line not to make the CFL East All Stars list (

Victor Butler Victor Allen Butler (born July 29, 1987) is a former American football outside linebacker. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oregon State University. Early years Butl ...

Dylan Wynn Charles Dylan Wynn (born June 1, 1993) is a professional gridiron football defensive tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Oregon State. He was previously a member of the Natio ...

, and Cleyon Laing all made the list), but Lemon still managed 8 sacks and a forced fumble in 12 games played. During the playoffs, Lemon recorded 3 sacks in a victory over the

. Lemon and the Argos would go on to defeat Lemon's former team, the Stampeders to win the

105th Grey Cup The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...

. Lemon played in 5 games for Toronto in 2018, before being traded away. In those games he made 5 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

BC Lions

On July 24, 2018, Lemon was traded to the

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions played their first seas ...

for a negotiation list player. Lemon formed a formidable pass rush tandem with Odell Willis, and went on to record 10 sacks in 13 games for BC, including two against Toronto in two meetings later that season.

Toronto Argonauts (II)

After becoming a free agent in February 2019, Lemon signed with Toronto again on a one-year contract. Lemon played in four games for the Argos in 2019, contributing 15 tackles and one quarterback sack.

BC Lions (II)

On August 12, 2019, for the second time in his career, Lemon was traded from Toronto to the

in the middle of the season, this time for

Davon Coleman Davon Coleman (born January 11, 1991) is an American gridiron football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). In college, he first enrolled at Fort Scott Com ...

. Lemon's first game back with the Lions saw him create 2 sacks and force a fumble, while also inflicting a season ending injury upon Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols. Lemon recorded 8 sacks in 10 games with the Lions. Lemon was not re-signed by the Lions following the 2019 season and became a free agent on February 11, 2020.

Edmonton Elks (II)

On February 3, 2021, Lemon signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Football Team (since re-named the

Elks The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order founded in 1868, originally as a social club in New York City. History The Elks began in 1868 as a soci ...

). However, he was released near the end of training camp on July 29, 2021.

Calgary Stampeders (II)

On July 30, 2021, it was announced that Lemon had signed with the

. Lemon continued his stellar play in the

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

and

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...

seasons playing in 28 games for the Stamps, and posting 55 defensive tackles, 22 quarterback sacks, and seven forced fumbles. He was named a CFL All-Star following the 2022 season, his first such honour. He was also named the winner of the

Norm Fieldgate Trophy The Norm Fieldgate Trophy is a Canadian Football League trophy awarded to the outstanding defensive player in the West Division. Each team in the West division nominates a player, from which the winner is chosen. Either the winner of this trophy o ...

, which is awarded to the most outstanding defensive player in the West Division. Following the season Lemon was not re-signed by the Stampeders and became a free agent on February 14, 2023.

BC Lions (III)

On February 26, 2023, it was announced that Lemon had signed again with the

. Lemon was released by the Lions during training camp on May 22, 2023.

Montreal Alouettes

On July 23, 2023 it was announced that Lemon had signed with the

Career statistics

References

External links

BC Lions bioNFL Draft Scout
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lemon, Shawn 1988 births Living people African-American players of American football African-American players of Canadian football Akron Zips football players American football defensive linemen American football linebackers Calgary Stampeders players Canadian football defensive linemen Edmonton Elks players Orlando Predators players Ottawa Redblacks players People from Waldorf, Maryland Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Maryland Players of American football from South Carolina San Francisco 49ers players San Jose SaberCats players Saskatchewan Roughriders players Sioux Falls Storm players Sportspeople from Charleston, South Carolina Sportspeople from the Washington metropolitan area Toronto Argonauts players BC Lions players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people