VANCOUVER – The BC Lions announced Wednesday the return of long-time defensive back T.J. Lee, along with the signing of fellow American DB Marquise Bridges.
Lee, a Seattle native and Eastern Washington product, first joined the Lions as a free agent in 2014. Over the next decade, he appeared in 147 games (139 regular season, eight playoffs), earning two CFL All-Star nods (2018, 2023) and three West Division All-Star selections (2018-19, 2023). He ranks third in franchise history with 584 defensive tackles and sits seventh all-time for the club with 28 interceptions. In 2019, Lee was BC’s nominee for Most Outstanding Defensive Player after posting 66 tackles, four interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Bridges, from Minneapolis, MN, played 14 games over the past two seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, recording 23 defensive tackles, a forced fumble, and two interceptions — both coming against BC in Week 2 this year. Before his CFL stint, he captured Indoor Football League championships with the Bay Area Panthers (2022) and Northern Arizona Wranglers (2023), and had workouts with the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings.
At North Dakota State (2016-19), Bridges appeared in 49 games, tallying 87 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 26 pass breakups, five interceptions, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. He helped the Bison secure four National Championships and earned MVFC All-Star honours twice before receiving an invite to the 2020 Hula Bowl.
