The B.C. Lions signed defensive lineman Jonah Tavai and defensive back Chris Cooper on Friday.
Jonah Tavai is five foot ten and weighs 283 pounds. The 23-year-old from Inglewood, California, signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2023 but did not play in the preseason. He was released by the Seahawks on July 26, 2023.
Collegiately, Tavai played one season at El Camino Community College in 2018 with 34 tackles (13 solo, 21 assists), six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, six carries for 12 yards, and three touchdowns in ten games for the Warriors.
Then, he transferred to San Diego State (2019-22) with 147 tackles (77 solo, 70 assists), 36 tackles for loss, 24 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 48 games for the Aztecs. He was named First Team All-MWC in 2022. He was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year in 2022.
Chris Cooper is five foot ten and weighs 202 pounds. The 29-year-old from Mount Vernon, New York, made 29 tackles (18 solo, 11 assists) in ten games for the St. Louis Battlehawks in 2023. The Battlehawks drafted Cooper in the seventh round (49th pick) of the 2023 XFL Supplemental Draft.
Before St. Louis, Cooper signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He also spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Collegiately, Cooper played three seasons at Stony Brook (2015-17) with 147 tackles (77 solo, 70 assists), 12 tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions for 50 yards, nine pass breakups, and one fumble recovery in 33 games for the Seawolves. He was named Second Team All-CAA in 2017.
