Shawn Lemon (born August 25, 1988) is an American professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

defensive lineman In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line (D ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

Akron Akron () is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 190,469 at the 2020 census. The Akron metropolitan area, covering Summit and Portage counties, had ...

. He has been a member of eight

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; , LCF) is a Professional gridiron football, professional Canadian football league in Canada. It comprises nine teams divided into two divisions, with four teams in the East Division (CFL), East Division and f ...

(CFL) teams (

BC Lions The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Lions compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and play their home games at BC Place. The Lions playe ...

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division (CFL), West division. They play thei ...

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 19 ...

Edmonton Eskimos / Elks The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division (CFL), West Division and plays their home games at Commonw ...

Ottawa Redblacks The Ottawa Redblacks (officially stylized as REDBLACKS) (Canadian French, French: ) are a professional Canadian football team based in Ottawa, Ontario. The team plays in the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL ...

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Argonauts compete in the East Division (CFL), East Division of t ...

Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division (CFL), West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium a ...

, and

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes (Canadian French, French: ''Les Alouettes de Montréal'') are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has disbanded twice and been re-established thrice. The Alouettes compe ...

), three indoor football teams (

San Jose SaberCats The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...

Orlando Predators The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played it ...

, Sioux Falls Storm) and two NFL teams (

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...

). Lemon is a three-time

Grey Cup The Grey Cup () is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested between the winners ...

champion. In 2022, he was named a CFL All-Star and won the Norm Fieldgate Trophy as the best defensive player in the West Division. He was also a CFL East All-Star in 2016. In 2024, he was suspended indefinitely by the CFL for betting on league games.

Early life

Lemon was born on August 25, 1988, in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. His family moved to

Waldorf, Maryland Waldorf is a census-designated place in Charles County, Maryland, United States. Located south-southeast of Washington, D.C., Waldorf is part of Southern Maryland. Its population was 81,410 at the 2020 census. Waldorf has experienced dramatic gr ...

and he participated in football, basketball and track and field for the Westlake High School Wolverines. He broke the single-season at Westlake and the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference record with 21 sacks. Lemon recorded 97 tackles as a senior and was named first team All-Metro. He was also named to the Maryland Big School All-State second team. He accrued 80 tackles, 16 sacks, and two interceptions as a junior in 2004, being named second team All-Metro.

College career

Lemon played college football for the

Akron Zips The Akron Zips are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The Zips compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the NCAA Division I, Division I level as a memb ...

of the University of Akron. He was an All-

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Its members co ...

selection as a senior, leading the team with seven sacks and four fumble recoveries. He ended his college career with 102 tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, five fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.

Professional career

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

On July 18, 2011, Lemon was signed to the practice roster of the

of the CFL. He was released by the Blue Bombers on July 21, 2011.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (first stint)

Lemon signed with the CFL's

on August 10, 2011. He made his CFL debut on September 11, 2011, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was released by the Roughriders on September 21, 2011.

San Jose SaberCats

Lemon was assigned to the

of the

Arena Football League The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...

(AFL) on March 11, 2012.

Orlando Predators

Lemon was traded to the

on April 18, 2012. He was reassigned by the Predators on May 8, 2012.

Sioux Falls Storm

Lemon signed with the Sioux Falls Storm of the

Indoor Football League The Indoor Football League (IFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional indoor American football league in the United States. The league comprises 14 teams, divided equally between the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference ...

after his release from the Predators.

Edmonton Eskimos (first stint)

Lemon spent the 2012 season with the

Edmonton Eskimos The Edmonton Elks are a professional Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. The club competes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member of the league's West Division and plays their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. The E ...

of the CFL. He was released by Edmonton on May 22, 2013.

Calgary Stampeders (first stint)

Lemon signed with the

of the CFL on June 2, 2013. He played six games in 2013, recording 18 tackles, three quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. He was on the reserve list for twelve games. Lemon recorded six tackles in the Western Final. He started all 18 games for the Stampeders in 2014, recording 13 sacks, five tackles for a loss and eight forced fumbles (CFL League Record) . He also totaled 31 tackles, a special-teams tackle and an interception. Lemon was named the Defensive Player of the Week for Week 15 when he recorded three tackles, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in a victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Stampeders won the

102nd Grey Cup The 102nd Grey Cup was a Canadian football game played November 30, 2014, between the West Division champion Calgary Stampeders and East Division champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats, to determine the Canadian Football League (CFL) championship for the ...

against the

Hamilton Tiger-Cats The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a professional Canadian football team based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. They are currently members of the East Division (CFL), East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The Tiger-Cats play their home game ...

on November 30, 2014. On January 19, 2015, the Stampeders released Lemon, allowing him to become a free-agent and pursue employment opportunities in the NFL. Shawn_Lemon

Pittsburgh Steelers

Lemon agreed to a contract with the

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) on January 20, 2015. He was released by the Steelers on August 3, 2015.

San Francisco 49ers

Lemon was signed by the NFL's

on August 8, 2015. He was released by the 49ers on August 31, 2015. He was listed as a

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

during his time with the Steelers and 49ers.

Ottawa Redblacks

On September 3, 2015, Lemon signed with the

of the CFL to play as a defensive end for Ottawa. Lemon played in the last half of the season with the Redblacks, contributing five quarterback sacks during the regular season. He was released by the Redblacks on December 4 so he could pursue NFL opportunities.

Saskatchewan Roughriders (second stint)

Lemon was signed by the Roughriders on January 15, 2016. Lemon was listed as the third-string defensive end for opening night, effectively confirming rumours that Lemon was unhappy with the Roughriders coaching staff. Following a week 1 defeat Lemon asked to be traded.

Toronto Argonauts (first stint)

After reports that Lemon was not happy in Saskatchewan, Lemon was traded to the

on July 2, 2016, after playing limited reps in only one game for the Roughriders. Lemon and a conditional 2018 CFL Draft pick were sent to the Argonauts in exchange for Mitchell Gale and Matt Sewell. Lemon played in 16 games for the Argos during the 2016 season and finished tied for second in the CFL with 14 sacks. He was recognized by his peers for his performance and was named a CFL East Division All-Star. On December 1, 2016, Lemon and the Argos agreed on a contract extension which kept him with the 'double-blue' through the 2018 CFL season. Lemon was hampered by injury during 2017, and was the only starter on Toronto's defensive line not to make the CFL East All Stars list ( Victor Butler, Dylan Wynn, and Cleyon Laing all made the list), but Lemon still managed 8 sacks and a forced fumble in 12 games played. During the playoffs, Lemon recorded 3 sacks in a victory over the

. Lemon and the Argos would go on to defeat Lemon's former team, the Stampeders to win the

105th Grey Cup The 105th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 2017, between the Calgary Stampeders and the Toronto Argonauts at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. In a re-match of the 100th Grey Cup, the Argonauts won the game 27–24, winning their 17th cham ...

. Lemon played in 5 games for Toronto in 2018, before being traded away. In those games he made 5 tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble.

BC Lions (first stint)

On July 24, 2018, Lemon was traded to the

for a negotiation list player. Lemon formed a formidable pass rush tandem with Odell Willis, and went on to record 10 sacks in 13 games for BC, including two against Toronto in two meetings later that season.

Toronto Argonauts (second stint)

After becoming a free agent in February 2019, Lemon signed with Toronto again on a one-year contract. Lemon played in four games for the Argos in 2019, contributing 15 tackles and one quarterback sack.

BC Lions (second stint)

On August 12, 2019, for the second time in his career, Lemon was traded from Toronto to the

in the middle of the season, this time for Davon Coleman. Lemon's first game back with the Lions saw him record 2 sacks and force a fumble, while also inflicting a season ending injury upon Winnipeg quarterback Matt Nichols. Lemon recorded 8 sacks in 10 games with the Lions. Lemon was not re-signed by the Lions following the 2019 season and became a free agent on February 11, 2020. The 2020 CFL season was cancelled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

Edmonton Football Team / Elks (second stint)

On February 3, 2021, Lemon signed a one-year deal with the Edmonton Football Team (later renamed the Elks). However, he was released near the end of training camp on July 29, 2021.

Calgary Stampeders (second stint)

On July 30, 2021, it was announced that Lemon had signed with the

. Lemon continued his stellar play in the

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

and 2022 seasons playing in 28 games for the Stamps, and posting 55 defensive tackles, 22 quarterback sacks, and seven forced fumbles. He was named a CFL All-Star following the 2022 season, his first such honour. He was also named the winner of the Norm Fieldgate Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding defensive player in the West Division. Following the season Lemon was not re-signed by the Stampeders and became a free agent on February 14, 2023.

BC Lions (third stint)

On February 26, 2023, Lemon signed again with the

. Lemon was released by the Lions during training camp on May 22, 2023.

Montreal Alouettes

On July 23, 2023, Lemon signed with the

. On September 30, 2023, he scored the first touchdown of his career as he returned a fumble 30 yards for the score in the game against the

. The following week, he recorded the 100th sack of his career, on October 9, 2023, also against the Redblacks, as he sacked Dustin Crum. Overall, he played in just 13 games, but recorded nine sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one touchdown. In the team's two playoff games, Lemon recorded seven defensive tackles, three sacks, and one fumble recovery as the team advanced to the 110th Grey Cup game. He had three defensive tackles and one sack in that game as the Alouettes defeated the

and Lemon won his third Grey Cup championship. On December 7, 2023, Lemon signed a one-year contract extension with the Alouettes. He announced his retirement on April 10, 2024. Shortly thereafter, on April 24, 2024, the CFL announced that Lemon had been suspended indefinitely for betting on league games while a member of the Stampeders in 2021. Lemon then unretired, launched an appeal, and returned to the Alouettes. He was allowed to take place in team activities and play in games for the Alouettes until an arbitrator made a decision. He made the opening day roster and played in four games for the Alouettes, recording six defensive tackles and one sack. On July 4, 2024, an independent arbitrator ruled that his suspension would go into effect immediately. He was on the Alouettes' suspended list for the remainder of the season and became a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

upon the expiry of his contract on February 11, 2025.

CFL statistics

References

External links

Montreal Alouettes bioNFL Draft Scout
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lemon, Shawn 1988 births Living people Akron Zips football players American football defensive linemen American football linebackers Calgary Stampeders players Canadian football defensive linemen Edmonton Elks players Orlando Predators players Ottawa Redblacks players People from Waldorf, Maryland Pittsburgh Steelers players Players of American football from Charles County, Maryland Players of American football from Charleston County, South Carolina San Francisco 49ers players San Jose SaberCats players Saskatchewan Roughriders players Sioux Falls Storm players Players of Canadian football from South Carolina Toronto Argonauts players BC Lions players Montreal Alouettes players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Sportspeople involved in betting scandals