Elimimian will be in orange and black until he’s grey
Anyone who questions Solomon Elimimian’s commitment to the B.C. Lions should know he’s spending part of his off-season traipsing around the frozen parts of the province, spreading the non-violence gospel of the Be More Than a Bystander campaign.
“When I was looking at the weather report and I saw the minus, the minus, the minus, I was like, ‘Aw, man, it’s going to be unbearable.’ So I guess I might have freaked myself out,” the Southern California product said from Prince George on Wednesday, where temperatures were well into negative double-digits overnight.
“It’s good for the body, though. We’ve got to play in these conditions when we go to Edmonton, to Calgary.”
His community outreach work is something he takes great pride in, just as much as his on-field resume, a lengthy list of Hall of Fame-worthy accomplishments. Both bodies of work were why the Lions re-signed him on Wednesday to a contract through 2019.
Now entering his ninth season with the team, only Travis Lulay and Rolly Lumbala have been with the organization longer.
Elimimian was the CFL’s most outstanding player in 2014 and is a two-time most outstanding defensive player. He is also the Lions’ all-time leader in defensive tackles with 719 and 755 combined tackles overall.
A four-time CFL all-star, the 31-year-old has appeared in 114 regular-season games and hit double digits in tackles in six games last season.
At the beginning of last season, he was held up as the one constant in a sea of change, a defence that had seen incredible turnover in the number of players who had been long-standing Lions.
This year, it’s more of the same. Of the team’s seven leading tacklers last season, only Elimimian and T.J. Lee are under contract.
Nickel/ hybrid linebacker Chandler Fenner started all 18 games for B.C., his 76 defensive stops second only to Elimimian. He signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this week as did Anthony Gaitor, another member of B.C.’s secondary.
Micah Awe, the No. 3 tackler with 54 stops, has been released to explore his NFL options. Ronnie Yell remains unsigned. Loucheiz Purifoy signed with the Ottawa Redblacks.
The turnover has been tremendous, but Elimimian remains undaunted.
“You build chemistry and trust and those players, they’re not just teammates, they’re friends,” said Elimimian. “You put a lot of sweat and blood and tears into this thing together. You hate to see them go, but that’s just how it is. Free agency, everyone wants to improve their financial status, everybody wants what’s best for them for them and their family. You understand it. It’s not easy playing with a guy for years and then see him leave in free agency.”