VANCOUVER — The B.C. Lions signed Canadian free agent kicker Sean Whyte on Tuesday.
The 36-year-old native of White Rock, B.C., originally signed with B.C. in 2007 as a territorial exemption. He began his CFL career with the Lions (2009-10) before spending time with Montreal (2011-14) and Edmonton (2015-19, 2021).
Whyte has appeared in 168 career regular-season games. He has hit 382-of-441 field goals (87 per cent) and sports a 42.6-yard punting average. He's 14th in all-time CFL scoring with 1,515 points.
B.C. also signed American defensive backs Loucheiz Purifoy and Delvin Breaux, American defensive lineman Steven Richardson, Canadian quarterback Michael O'Connor and Canadian defensive linemen David Menard and Mathieu Betts as free agents.
Breaux retired prior to the '21 campaign following four seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2013-14, 2018-19). The former CFL all-star also spent time with the NFL's New Orleans Saints (2015-17).
Breaux, 32, appeared in 49 career regular-season games with Hamilton, registering 110 tackles, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, three tackles for loss, two interceptions and a sack.
Purifoy, 29, spent the last three seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, registering 106 tackles, eight interceptions and a forced fumble in 40 regular-season games. He began his CFL career with B.C. in 2016 and spent two seasons with the club before heading to Ottawa in 2018.
Purifoy joined the Riders later that season.
O'Connor, 25, adds to the Lions' Canadian content at quarterback.
Nathan Rourke, a 23-year-old Victoria native entering his second CFL season, will come into training camp as B.C.'s starter following the off-season retirement of American veteran Michael Reilly.
O'Connor dressed for six games with the Calgary Stampeders in 2021. O'Connor suited up for nine games as a rookie with Toronto in 2019, completing 15-of-25 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
O'Connor played collegiately at the University of British Columbia (2015-18), leading the Thunderbirds to a Vanier Cup title in 2015.
Menard, 31, returns to the Lions after spending 2021 with Montreal, where he registered eight sacks, 18 defensive tackles and two forced fumbles.
Hailing from Chicoutimi, Que., Menard played six seasons for B.C. (2014-19), recording 52 defensive tackles, 18 sacks and three forced fumbles.
Betts spent the last two seasons with the Edmonton Elks, registering 13 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in 19 regular-season contests. The Montreal native played collegiately at Laval (2015-18).
Richardson joins the Lions after two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He recorded 38 tackles, six sacks and a forced fumble in 25 regular season contests.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 8, 2022.
The Canadian Press
