How bringing back T.J. Lee helped turn around the B.C. Lions' defence

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Rookie safety Jackson Findlay says: “He really does love it here. He loves the guys here. He wants to win here.”

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Published Nov 07, 2025 • 4 minute read

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bc lions B.C. Lions’ T.J. Lee (right) embraces Calgary Stampeders quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. after B.C. defeated Calgary during the CFL western semifinal in Vancouver last Saturday. Photo by DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESSArticle content

To help understand how T.J. Lee has helped with the B.C. Lions’ turnaround, we take you back to a practice a little over a month ago.

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The Lions defence picked off consecutive Nathan Rourke passes during drills at Hjorth Road Park that afternoon, and bedlam ensued from that portion of the squad, with the celebrating undoubtedly heard by homes in the Surrey neighbourhood.

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B.C. was in the midst of its rebound from a slow start to the season. That was part of the reason for the mood. Defensive end Mathieu Betts also pointed out that one of those interceptions was snared by Lee, and the players “are so happy to have him back … everybody’s cheering for him.”

The Lions had opted against re-signing Lee, a 10-year veteran of the squad, when they started the season, and he remained at home in the Seattle area. B.C. changed course and inked Lee, 36, to a contract on Sept. 10 when they were 5-7 and looking like they were going nowhere fast and could well miss the playoffs altogether.

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B.C.’s current seven-game winning streak started two days later.

The Lions visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders Saturday (3:30 p.m.) in the Western Final, with a spot in the Grey Cup on the line. There are a multitude of reasons for their resurgence. Lee’s return is certainly among them, with the stabilizing force and poise the halfback has brought.

“He’s been a game changer,” said safety Jackson Findlay, 21, who is one of two rookies in the Lions starting defensive backfield, along with cornerback Robert Carter Jr., 22. “It goes beyond the field. It goes into the culture. It goes into the film study, the intricacies of the game.

“(Lee) really does love it here. He loves the guys here. He wants to win here. The guys have bought into that. We want to win it for him.”

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B.C. general manager Ryan Rigmaiden checked in regularly with Lee throughout the first half of the season. Lee also had talks with the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes along the way.

B.C. players such as Rourke, defensive back Garry Peters and receiver Keon Hatcher remained in constant contact with Lee as well, and you get the feeling that helped sway him.

“The guys kept me in it the whole year. Guys texting, ‘This is your team,’ and, ‘You need to come back.’ And I was like, ‘They have to write me a contract for me to come back,’” Lee relayed, chuckling all the while.

“I was just trying to set up my life, so that I could leave my family and come back and play. I was just waiting for the right situation and it happened.”

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You could have understood if Lee felt jilted. He is one of B.C.’s best-ever defenders. He is second in team history in defensive tackles, his 615 trailing only the 745 put forward by linebacker Solomon Elimimian (2010-18). Lee’s a two-time All-CFL selection (2018, 2023). He ruptured his Achilles in 2023 West final and made it back ahead of schedule last season.

But Lee being bitter about being left off the roster to start the season? You don’t get a sense of that talking to him about it.

“I try to accept change with everything,” said Lee, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound Eastern Washington University product. “Every offseason I change my regiment and how I train.

“It’s not the season I expected to have, but the season of my destiny is what I’m accepting. How it landed, it worked out the right way.”

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Lee’s 144 games played are second for the Lions, behind only kicker Sean Whyte’s 240. Peters is next in line behind Lee with 139.

Lee finished with 31 tackles in his five regular season games, along with one sack and one interception. He had four tackles in B.C.’s 33-30 win over the Calgary Stampeders in last week’s Western semifinal.

B.C. (11-7) wound up second in the West regular season and with home field against Calgary last week thanks to a 27-21 road win over first-place Saskatchewan (12-6) in the regular season finale on Oct. 25. Saskatchewan already had the first-round bye and rested several top players. Starting quarterback Trevor Harris only threw 11 passes that game, for instance.

The Roughriders won the first two games between the teams this season, taking a 33-27 decision at B.C. Place on July 19 and a 37-18 outcome at home on June 28.

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The Lions haven’t been to the Grey Cup since winning it all in 2011 at B.C. Place with a 34-23 decision over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. They have lost five straight West finals since. They fell 28-19 in the West semifinal last year to Saskatchewan.

Home teams have won nine of the past 10 West finals. The last home team to lose the West final was Saskatchewan in 2019, when they lost 20-13 to Winnipeg. Away teams have won three of the past four East finals, but had lost six in a row prior to that.

B.C. Lions defensive back T.J. Lee pauses while speaking during the team’s end-of-season media availability on Nov. 4, 2024. Photo by Darryl Dyck /THE CANADIAN PRESS

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How bringing back T.J. Lee helped turn around the B.C. Lions’ defence

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