The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and linebacker Simoni Lawrence agreed to a one-year contract extension through the 2023 season on Thursday. The 34-year-old from Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, made 41 tackles in nine tackles for the Ticats in 2022.
This will be Lawrence’s tenth season in Hamilton and eleventh in the CFL. The future Hall of Famer began his journey when the St. Louis Rams signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Shortly after being released, the Hartford Colonials (UFL) drafted him in 2010 but he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lawrence went on to have stints Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Locomotives (UFL), and the Minnesota Vikings in 2014.
In 2012, Lawrence made his way to the CFL by signing with the Edmonton Eskimos. He played one season in Edmonton with 26 tackles in 15 games. Then, the Eskimos traded Lawrence to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on February 5th, 2013. In ten seasons in Hamilton, Lawrence has 639 tackles, 30 sacks, 14 interceptions, three touchdowns, and ten forced fumbles in 136 games.
Lawrence is a three-time James P. McCaffrey Trophy winner (2015, 2019, 2021), a five-time CFL East All-Star (2014-16, 2019, 2021), and a three-time CFL All-Star (2015, 2019, 2021).
Collegiately, Lawrence played two seasons at Valley Forge Military Academy before transferring to Minnesota in 2008. He played two seasons in Minnesota (2008-09) with 151 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and one touchdown in 26 games for the Golden Gophers.
