Kadie Smith
There was a time at the end of 2009 when Solomon Elimimian thought that he might not have a future in football.
The 2015 single season tackle leader and first pure defensive player to win the league’s Most Outstanding Player award actually spent the better part of that year off the field.
Released from the Buffalo Bills September 2009 after playing in two preseason games, he saw his NFL options dwindling. “If the NFL isn’t knocking on your door that whole year, they’re not coming, he said. “At that point I thought maybe I’ll have to try and do something else. My mind still always went back to football.”
Elimimian’s brother mentioned to him that he should look at the CFL, particularly the BC Lions who had an open tryout coming up in LA. “We knew of Solomon already and there were actually two linebackers out of the University of Hawaii that we liked,” said director of player personnel Neil McEvoy.
That other linebacker was Elimimian’s team mate Adam Leonard. Both eventually got the invite to training camp in 2010, but the road was not the easy for #56.
“I didn’t perform as well in the testing. Might not have been in the best of shape,” chuckles Elimimian. “I thought I was in ok shape.” Then head coach Wally Buono saw something in the linebacker at that LA camp though and he invited the future league All-Star to come to their next workout in Las Vegas on one condition, he had to get himself in better shape.
When Elimimian showed up, he has shed 12lbs. and knew this was his chance to prove that he wanted to play football. “I think they wanted to see how dedicated I was and if this was something I really wanted to pursue,” he said. “Would I put the time in and drive to Vegas?”
The Lions told Elimimian they would contact his agent. “I just remember being so excited,” he said. “I told Wally, if you sign me, you won’t regret it.”
The rest? Well that’s just history, or, better yet, history in the making. “He’s a man of his word,” Buono added. “I never regretted it for a second.”
For Elimimian, the open tryout gave him a second chance to play the game he loves. “It’s an equalizer,” he explained. “The tryouts
are a job interview. That’s how people need to look at it. Without that chance who knows what I would be doing.”
McEvoy seconds that sentiment. Without the open tryouts, a player like Solomon could have fallen through the cracks. “We could have signed three linebackers ahead of him and not worried about the tryouts and missed an opportunity on a player of his magnitude.”
The Lions require the majority of their players to attend an open workout and McEvoy explains that what you’re really looking for is a guy that proves his highlight reel, a guy that is exactly what you see on film. It really is a chance for a player to stand out and for a team to get an accurate evaluation of an athlete’s ability on the field.
“That whole experience really humbled me,” Elimimain said, frankly. “I had this mindset that my numbers and my tape was good enough; that I didn’t need to try out.”
Maybe that’s what makes the league’s hardest hitter so good: he still feels like he has to prove himself. Every year is a new challenge and in football, there’s never a guarantee.
“At a workout, you’re all equal regardless of your numbers from before,” he said. “It’s just like life and you have to stand out.”
Lions continue success at free agent camps
Speed, speed and speed.
If there was an overriding theme to the Lions’ free agent camps in Atlanta and Washington D.C. it was speed, according to player personnel director Neil McEvoy. “We definitely saw some blazers there for sure and with the up-tempo offence Jeff is installing this year speed is going to be the defining trait of the new faces we bring to camp.”
With a passing camp less than a week away, the Lions have leaned towards the offensive side of the ball with their previous free 
agent signings and both camps confirmed what they liked in new quarterbacks Greg McGhee and Jonathon Jennings.
“Both guys have great arms, great feet and can make all the throws you need,” notes head coach Jeff Tedford. “It’s definitely going to be a very interesting passing camp next week and a competitive journey to training camp in a month.”
The defence too will now see some additions after past visits to Dallas and Phoenix combined with this past weekend’s camp. Perhaps most impressive was the performances of various defensive backs.
“With the change in rules this year, we’re going to be bringing guys to camp who play with that kind of technique,” admits McEvoy. “The ability to cover receivers in the CFL is a significant challenge and this year that challenge has become more significant, but I’m confident we’ll adjust and continue to be a very strong team defensively.”
Another key spot for the club is along the defensive line and players in those spots are becoming a little more clear.
“It’s important to note that these camps provide benchmarks in some positions and confirmations of players we like in others. We may see a player we really like in Dallas or Phoenix but we’re not going to make a final decision or announce a signing until we allow ourselves to consider every possibility.”
The club will hold its final free agent camp on Sunday, May 17 in Seattle and 10 days after that be on the field in Kamloops with first-year Lions. The journey is just half the battle as the club’s coaching staff and player personnel staff get ready for an ultra-competitive season in the CFL.
“Some very good players will not make our club, but the ones who do are going to make us better,” says a confident McEvoy.
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