HAMILTON — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have officially announced the signing of free agent American defensive end Julian Howsare, confirming the move on Monday. Howsare became a free agent on February 11.
The 32-year-old defensive end began his Canadian Football League (CFL) journey with the Tiger-Cats in 2018, where he played four seasons in the iconic Black and Gold. He later spent the past two years (2023-24) with the Calgary Stampeders.
In the 2024 season, the six-foot-three, 255-pound native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was a key contributor for the Stampeders, recording five quarterback sacks and 36 defensive tackles, ranking second on the team in sacks. Over his six-year CFL career, Howsare has accumulated impressive stats, including 196 defensive tackles, 32 quarterback sacks, two interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 97 regular-season games. Notably, he earned East Division All-CFL honors during his time with the Tiger-Cats in 2022.
Howsare initially joined the Tiger-Cats in February 2018 following brief stints in the NFL with the New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks.
Before embarking on his professional career, Howsare was a standout at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he excelled on the field, earning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-West Defensive Player of the Year award in both 2013 and 2014.
