B.C. Lions: Justin McInnis is quite the catch for the season opener
Justin McInnis knows who will have the biggest pre-game impact Saturday at B.C. Place.
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After all, the B.C. Lions' standout wide receiver understands that you can't beat legendary American rapper Snoop Dogg to get more than 50,000 fans jacked for the club's CFL opener against the Edmonton Elks.
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'I'm excited,' McInnis said Thursday following practice. 'I grew up listening to Snoop. But honestly, I'm one of the weirder guys on the team. I don't wear headphones on game day or anything like that. I just like to soak up the crowd and be in the pre-game environment.
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McInnis will do his part to entertain when the ball is snapped. And that could also be quite the show after a career season in 2024.
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McInnis led all receivers last campaign in league yardage with 1,469, and was the first Canadian since Andy Fantuz in 2010 to lead that category. He was also second with 92 receptions and third in touchdown grabs with seven. His yards total was second highest by a Canadian member of the Lions after Matt Clark (1,530 yards), and the eighth-best for a Canadian all-time.
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The 28-year-old Pierrefonds, Que., native is an imposing target for quarterback Nathan Rourke with a 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame and plenty of zip and zag to leave defensive backs in his wake, or use his vertical skills to out-contest any defender. He did that in practice Wednesday and it bodes well as a weapon.
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'The best part of my game is I've got to use my height,' said McInnis. 'I'm not the fastest in the league, and I'm not able to do a lot of things that smaller guys can do. I'm always going to continuously work on getting better body control and things that will be a big advantage.'
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Add a full-season pull with Rourke, who spent the last two seasons with four NFL teams before returning to the Lions last August, and the dynamic duo could develop the kind of chemistry to intimidate and dominate.
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'Even in the off-season, we threw quite a bit, and at training camp,' said McInnis. 'One thing I like about Nate is that he's always communicating about things he sees and likes, and how he wants us to run certain routes. At the end of the day, it's being on the same page and he does a great job of expressing that.
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