Well, that was quick.
On Monday (June 5), BC Lions announced they乌鸦传媒檇 traded Surrey-raised football player Jonathan Kongo, just 15 days after the CFL team signed the standout defensive lineman.
The Lions acquired a 2024 draft pick from Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for Kongbo, who had signed with the Lions partway through training camp and dressed for just one pre-season game, June 1 against Calgary.
It乌鸦传媒檚 not clear exactly what happened, but it seems like team chemistry was a problem.
乌鸦传媒淚 think it just wasn乌鸦传媒檛 gonna be a good fit,乌鸦传媒� Lions head coach Rick Campbell said on Sportsnet 650 radio on Wednesday (June 7).
乌鸦传媒淵ou know, we wanted it to work out, that乌鸦传媒檚 why we signed him, but sometimes if players aren乌鸦传媒檛 comfortable with the situation, or it乌鸦传媒檚 not going to work out, then it乌鸦传媒檚 better to move on. It was quite clear to me that he wasn乌鸦传媒檛 comfortable with the situation, and that乌鸦传媒檚 too bad.乌鸦传媒�
Campbell made it clear that it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 Kongbo乌鸦传媒檚 on-field performance or style of play that was a problem.
乌鸦传媒淣o, it was just being comfortable on the team,乌鸦传媒� the coach said during the Halford & Brough morning show.
乌鸦传媒淔or some reason, there was some disconnect there. We signed him, we wanted him and it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 going to work out, and it乌鸦传媒檚 just the way it goes. It happens once in awhile, and like I said we would have loved to have him. It didn乌鸦传媒檛 seem to meshing really well and so we, you know, gave him a new home.乌鸦传媒�
After kicking off in Calgary Thursday (June 8), the Lions乌鸦传媒� home-opener for the 2023 season is Saturday, June 17 at BC Place Stadium, where LL Cool J is among pre-game performers.
DL speaks with media after today's practice. | |
乌鸦传媒� Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats)
乌鸦传媒淣ot a fit乌鸦传媒� because I called out star players not showing up for practice, and guys not wanting to work out. Culture matters, it乌鸦传媒檚 called pro football for a reason.
乌鸦传媒� Jonathan Kongbo 馃嚚馃嚛 (@King_Kongbo)
On Twitter, after being traded, Kongbo said this about his brief time with the Lions: 乌鸦传媒溛谘淮綑Not a fit乌鸦传媒� because I called out star players not showing up for practice, and guys not wanting to work out. Culture matters, it乌鸦传媒檚 called pro football for a reason.乌鸦传媒�
The 27-year-old Kongbo, a Holy Cross graduate who starred for the Surrey-area school team a decade ago, has played in the NFL and also .
Last October he dressed for a pair of games with Denver Broncos after signing a reserve/futures deal in January. , the Broncos lost 12-9 in overtime, but Kongbo scored a personal goal of making his NFL debut five games into Denver乌鸦传媒檚 season.
In Hamilton, Kongbo will have to quickly adapt to a new team just days before the start of the CFL season.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e played a couple times here and it乌鸦传媒檚 good to finally be on the other side, getting with the guys, see the culture around here, how guys are working, so it乌鸦传媒檚 been a really good couple days,乌鸦传媒� .
He talked about the 乌鸦传媒渉ard-working, blue-collar spirit乌鸦传媒� of Hamilton and how he thinks he乌鸦传媒檚 a perfect fit for the city.
Asked what kind of player he is, Kongbo responded: 乌鸦传媒淔earless, tenacious, I love the game, love the work, love the cameraderie, I love getting after it, I love winning, so to all the Ti-Cats fans, you乌鸦传媒檙e getting a player who loves to compete, a player who loves to get after it and a player who loves to win.乌鸦传媒�
While at Holy Cross, Kongbo was something of an accidental football star, a guy who hadn乌鸦传媒檛 played the game until Grade 12 at the Fleetwood-area Catholic school. He乌鸦传媒檇 been a basketball player at Kitsilano Secondary until transferring to Holy Cross, where the Crusaders乌鸦传媒� coaches eventually coaxed him to try football, a game he didn乌鸦传媒檛 embrace at first.
Born in Zaire, Konbgo moved with his family to Canada at age five.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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