VANCOUVER – The BC Lions announced the signings of four Americans to the practice roster on Wednesday including defensive linemen Amani Bledsoe and Shaun Peterson Jr., offensive lineman Ivory Scott Jr. and wide receiver Bryan Thompson.
Bledsoe, a Kenner, Louisiana native, moves north after two seasons in the UFL and stints in Arlington, Birmingham and Orlando.
Bledsoe suited up in 14 games with five starts for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020, recording 17 combined tackles and a pair of pass knockdowns. He then appeared in five games with the Tennessee Titans in 2021 and registered one tackle and one pass knockdown. Bledsoe spent 2022 on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.
In 30 games at Oklahoma from 2016-18, Bledsoe racked up 88 combined tackles (29 solo, 59 assisted), 7.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks and eight pass knockdowns. Bledsoe earned All-Big 12 honourable mention in his senior season.
Peterson suited up in 11 games over the last two seasons with the Calgary Stampeders, including a pair of starts to begin 2026. The Fort Lauderdale native recorded a total of 11 defensive tackles, four sacks and two pass knockdowns in his time with the Stamps.
Peterson began his college career as a running back at Florida International from 2020-22, recording 104 carries for 478 yards and four touchdowns. After switching to defensive tackle, he registered 28 defensive tackles, eight tackles for a loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries.
Peterson moved to Central Florida for his senior year and recorded 14 defensive stops, one tackle for a loss, one sack and a forced fumble.
Scott moves north after suiting up with the Indoor Football League San Diego Strike Force, where he earned Second-Team All-IFL in 2026. Scott previously had an IFL stint with Quad City from 2024-25.
After suiting up at Pearl River Community College from 2017-18, the Kenner, Louisiana native moved to Arkansas State for 36 games over the next three seasons. He earned All-Sun Belt honourable mention in 2019 and saw action at both left and right guard. During his time with the Red Wolves, Scott helped their offence average 364.4 passing yards per game and 489.7 total yards per game.
Thompson returns to the Lions after attending a portion of this year’s training camp in Kamloops.
The Moreno Valley, California native spent 2023 training camp with the Buffalo Bills. After 33 appearances at the University of Utah from 2017-20 and making 33 catches for 756 yards (22.0-yard average) and four touchdowns, Thompson moved to Arizona State for two seasons and registered 38 receptions for 607 yards. His 15.1 average yards per catch in 2022 was highest on the team.
The Lions also released the following four players from the practice roster:
- American offensive lineman Jaquan Adams
- American quarterback Tyrie Adams
- American wide receiver Silas Bolden
- American offensive lineman Christian Olmstead
