The Saskatchewan Roughriders and linebacker Larry Dean agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2023 season on Tuesday. The 34-year-old from Tifton, Georgia, had 108 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 18 games for the Roughriders in 2022.
This will be Dean’s second season in Saskatchewan. The Roughriders signed Dean as a free agent on February 9th, 2021. He did not play in 2021 due to a torn ACL in a workout ahead of training camp.
Before Saskatchewan, Dean played one season with the Edmonton Eskimos (now Elks) in 2019 with 89 tackles in 18 games. In addition, Dean played three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with 284 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions, one touchdown, and five forced fumbles in 72 games.
Dean signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2011. He played 48 games (2011-13) for the Vikings with 27 tackles. In 2014, Dean played 13 games for the Buffalo Bills with seven tackles.
In 2015, Dean was on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. After the season, Dean signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He is a two-time CFL East All-Star (2017, 2018), a one-time CFL West All-Star (2019), and a 2018 James P. McCaffrey Trophy award winner for the best defensive player in the East Division.
Collegiately, Dean played four seasons at Valdosta State (2007-10) with 358 tackles, 9.5 sacks, three interceptions, three touchdowns, 16 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two blocked kicks in 47 games for the Blazers.
He was named both an All-American and National Defensive Player of the Year and helped the Blazers win the 2007 NCAA Division II national championship. In 2020, Dean was inducted into the Valdosta State Hall of Fame.
