The B.C. Lions released defensive lineman David Menard, along with defensive backs Parnell Motley and Lawrence Woods III on Thursday.
David Ménard is six foot one and weighs 259 pounds. The 33-year-old from Chicoutimi, Quebec, made 14 tackles and three sacks in 18 games for the Lions in 2023.
The Lions drafted Ménard in the fourth round (32nd pick) in the 2014 CFL Draft. Ménard played four seasons in B.C. with 31 tackles, one tackle on special teams, ten sacks, and two forced fumbles in 59 games. In 2020, Ménard signed with the Montreal Alouettes but the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
In 2021, Ménard re-signed with Montreal, playing 14 games with 18 tackles, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles in 14 games for the Alouettes. Ménard was named a CFL East All-Star and a Lew Hayman Trophy winner in 2021. In 2022, Ménard returned to the B.C. Lions made 18 tackles, nine sacks, and one forced fumble in 18 games.
Collegiately, Ménard played four seasons at the University of Montreal (2010-13) with 112 tackles (72 solo, 40 assists), 40 tackles for loss, 31 sacks, one forced fumble, six fumble recoveries, and four pass breakups in 34 games for the Carabins.
Parnell Motley is six foot and weighs 180 pounds. The 26-year-old from Washington, D.C., signed with the B.C. Lions on September 26, 2023, and was placed on the practice squad.
Before B.C., 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.
Next, 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. In 2023, Motely attended the Toronto Argonauts training camp and later signed with the Montreal Alouettes before making his way to British Columbia.
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.
Lawrence Woods III is five foot nine and weighs 180 pounds. The 26-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, signed with the B.C. Lions on December 7, 2023. In 2023, Woods III had 14 kickoff returns for 277 yards, 20 tackles, and two tackles on special teams in seven games for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Before Hamilton, the New Orleans Saints signed Woods as an undrafted free agent on May 14, 2021. Then, the Ticats signed Woods as a free agent on April 21, 2022. In 2022, Woods had 43 kickoff returns for 990 yards, one touchdown, three tackles, and nine tackles on special teams in 14 games.
Collegiately, Woods played four seasons at Truman State University (2016-19) with 79 tackles (49 solo, 30 assists), three tackles for loss, two sacks, five interceptions for 67 yards, one touchdown, 27 pass breakups, one forced fumble, one blocked punt, 18 kick returns for 869 yards, five touchdowns, six punt returns for 52 yards, one catch for nine yards, and two carries for 33 yards in 25 games for the Bulldogs. He was named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2018.
