No. 95 Detroit Lions | |
Born: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | March 22, 1995
---|---|
Career information | |
Status | Active |
CFL status | National |
Position(s) | Outside linebacker |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Weight | 250 lb (110 kg) |
University | Laval |
CFL Draft | 2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 |
Drafted by | Edmonton Eskimos |
Career history | |
As player | |
2019 | Chicago Bears* |
2019–2021 | Edmonton Eskimos / Elks |
2022–2023 | BC Lions |
2024–present | Detroit Lions |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
CFL All-Star | 2023 |
CFL West All-Star | 2023 |
Career stats | |
Mathieu Betts (born March 22, 1995) is a professional American football linebacker for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). Betts is the only player in U Sports football history to have won four major individual awards after he won the 2015 Peter Gorman Trophy as the most outstanding rookie and the 2016–2018 J. P. Metras Trophy awards as the most outstanding down lineman. [1] He is a two-time Vanier Cup champion having won in 2016 and 2018.
Betts began his U Sports football career with the Laval Rouge et Or in 2015 where he recorded a nation-leading 12 sacks in eight regular season games played en route to being named the Most Outstanding Rookie. [2] In 2016, he had nine sacks in eight regular season games, second-best in the country, and was named the Most Outstanding Down Lineman at season's end. [3] He also won his first Vanier Cup championship as part of Laval's 52nd Vanier Cup win. He won his second consecutive J. P. Metras Trophy in 2017 and won for the third time in 2018, becoming the first player to ever win the award three times. [1] He finished his fourth year of eligibility in 2018 with another Vanier Cup championship in the 54th Vanier Cup game.
In the 2019 CFL Scouting Bureau Rankings for December, Betts was named as the top available prospect in the 2019 CFL Draft. [4] He was one of two U Sports players invited to play in the 2019 East–West Shrine Game. [5] On May 2, he was selected third overall in the 2019 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Eskimos, though at the time he was under contract with the Chicago Bears. [6]
After the 2019 NFL Draft on April 27, 2019, Betts signed with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League as an undrafted free agent on a three-year contract. [7] Betts was among the final roster cuts on August 31, 2019. [8]
Betts formally joined the Edmonton Eskimos on September 9, 2019, after being selected by the Eskimos in the first round of the 2019 CFL Draft. [9] In his first game, Betts made a major contribution in making a sack, forcing a fumble against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The following week against the Ottawa Redblacks, Betts had another sack. In total, he played in six games and recorded one defensive tackle, two sacks, and one forced fumble in his rookie season. He did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the 2020 CFL season.
In 2021, Betts played in 13 of the 14 regular season games where he had 12 defensive tackles, but did not record a sack. He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 8, 2022. [10]
On the first day of free agency, on February 8, 2022, Betts signed with the BC Lions. [11] Betts played in all 17 regular season games and contributed with 26 defensive tackles, seven sacks and two tackles on special teams. Following the season, in early January 2023, he had a workout with the Jacksonville Jaguars. [12]
In 2023, Betts had a dominant season where he started in all 18 regular season games and recorded 44 defensive tackles, two special teams tackles, 18 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one blocked kick. [13] Notably, on October 20, 2023, in the last game of the regular season, Betts broke the record for most sacks by a National player when he recorded his 18th sack and surpassed Brent Johnson (2005) and Jamaal Westerman (2015) who each had 17 in a single season. [13] [14] At the end of season, he was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player and a CFL All-Star. [15] He became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 13, 2024. [16]
On February 13, 2024, it was announced that Betts had signed with the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). [17] [18]
Willie Pless is a former Canadian football linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played for the Toronto Argonauts, BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and Saskatchewan Roughriders, winning the 1993 Grey Cup with the Eskimos. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
John Cody Sherritt is the linebackers coach and pass game coordinator for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a former Canadian football linebacker who played in eight seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos and won one Grey Cup championship in 2015. Sherritt played his college football at Eastern Washington and was the 2010 recipient of the Buck Buchanan Award.
Hénoc Muamba is a Congolese-Canadian former professional football linebacker who played in both the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He is a two-time CFL All-Star, three-time CFL Divisional All-Star, and was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian in 2017. In 2022, he won the Grey Cup with the Argonauts and was named the game's most valuable player (MVP) and Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian, becoming the second player in history to earn both awards. He has also been a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Indianapolis Colts, Montreal Alouettes, Dallas Cowboys, and Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Willie Hebert Jefferson III is an American professional football defensive end for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Jefferson is a three-time Grey Cup champion, winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015 and twice more with the Blue Bombers in 2019 and 2021. He was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player in 2019 with the Bombers, and is a five-time CFL All-Star and six-time CFL West All-Star. He has also been a member of the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills, Washington Redskins, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Jefferson played college football for the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks and the Baylor Bears.
Simoni Lawrence is an American former professional gridiron football linebacker who played primarily for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a three-time winner of the James P. McCaffrey Trophy, a three-time CFL All-Star, and a five-time CFL Divisional All-Star. He is the Tiger-Cats' franchise leader in total tackles (734) and defensive tackles (727) and holds the CFL record for most defensive tackles in a single game (17).
Adam Thibault is a Canadian football defensive back for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He won his first Grey Cup championship in his rookie year with the Calgary Stampeders in 2014 after winning three Vanier Cup championships with Laval.
Adam Konar is a Canadian football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally drafted 25th overall in the 2015 CFL Draft by the Edmonton Eskimos and played for six non-consecutive seasons with the team. He played CIS football for the Calgary Dinos.
Michael Daly is a former professional Canadian football defensive back and is currently the special teams assistant coach for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks of U Sports football. He spent nine years with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
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Jonathan Kongbo is a professional gridiron football defensive lineman, who is a free agent. He most recently played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was originally drafted by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the first round with the fifth overall pick in the 2019 CFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona Western and Tennessee.
Fraser Sopik is a professional Canadian football linebacker for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Jake Paul Harty is a professional Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016 and with Montreal Alouettes in 2023 and he is a Vanier Cup champion as a coach after the Calgary Dinos won the 55th Vanier Cup in 2019.
Micah Teitz is a Canadian football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Christopher Edwards is a retired professional Canadian football defensive back, who most recently played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Jordan Beaulieu is a professional Canadian football defensive back who is currently a free agent. He played U Sports football at Western University. Beaulieu has also been a member of the Edmonton Elks and the Ottawa Redblacks.
Greg Knox is a Canadian football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the York Lions of U Sports football. He played professionally as a defensive back with the Calgary Stampeders for seven years where he won two Grey Cup championships. He is also a two-time Vanier Cup champion after winning as a player with the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in 1991 and then as a defensive coordinator with the McMaster Marauders in 2011. He was formerly the head coach of the Marauders from 2016 to 2018.
Nicholas F. Usher is an American professional football defensive lineman for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Woody Baron is an American professional gridiron football defensive lineman in the Canadian Football League (CFL), who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Virginia Tech.
Adam Auclair is a Canadian professional football linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
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