The B.C. Lions signed defensive backs Parnell Motley and Rico Gafford to the practice squad and released running back BJ Baylor on Tuesday.
Parnell Motley is six foot and weighs 180 pounds. The 25-year-old from Washington, D.C., attended training camp for the Toronto Argonauts in 2023 and later signed with the Montreal Alouettes.
Before Toronto, he was drafted by the D.C. Defenders in the 12th round (4th pick) in the 2022 XFL Draft. After getting cut by the Defenders, he signed with the New Orleans Breakers on April 19th but was released the next day.
Motley signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He played two regular season games with eight tackles, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery before being released. In addition, he had brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and the Calgary Stampeders.
Collegiately, Motley played four seasons at Oklahoma (2016-19) with 176 tackles (130 solo, 46 assists), 7.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions for 94 yards, one touchdown, 39 pass breakups, six forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries in 53 games for the Sooners.
In his final season, Motley made 41 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one interception, 14 pass breakups, five forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in 14 games. He was named First Team All-Big 12 by the media and Second Team by the coaches.
Rico Gafford is five foot ten and weighs 185 pounds. The 27-year-old from Des Moines, Iowa, spent the majority of the 2022 season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. On December 13, 2022, Gafford signed with the Birmingham Stallions but was released on April 10, 2023.
Before Birmingham, Gafford signed with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He later signed with the Oakland Raiders. Gafford played eight games for the Raiders with one tackle and one catch for 12 yards. After Oakland/Las Vegas, Gafford signed with the Arizona Cardinals.
Collegiately, Gafford played two seasons at Iowa Community College (2014-15) with 77 tackles (54 solo, 23 assists), four interceptions, 18 kick returns for 460 yards, and one blocked punt return for 12 yards, and one touchdown in 23 games for the Reivers. He helped the Reivers win the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship Bowl in 2015.
Then, Gafford transferred to Wyoming (2016-17) with 103 tackles (76 solo, 27 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions for 109 yards, one touchdown, 17 pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and seven kick returns for 140 yards in 27 games for the Cowboys.
B.J. Baylor is five foot eleven and weighs 188 pounds. The 25-year-old from Wharton, Texas, signed with the Lions on September 12, 2023. Before B.C., he attended training camp with the Green Bay Packers in 2022 playing one preseason game with seven catches for 19 yards before spending the rest of the season on the Atlanta Falcons practice squad.
Collegiately, Baylor played four seasons at Oregon State (2018-21) with 308 carries for 1,718 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 catches for 115 yards in 41 games for the Beavers. In 2021, Baylor became the first Beaver to lead the league since Steven Jackson in 2003 with 1,337 rushing yards, and 13 touchdowns. He was named First Team All-PAC 12 in 2021.
