The B.C. Lions signed defensive lineman Kail Dava and linebacker Mitchell Townsend to the practice squad on Saturday.
Kail Dava is six foot three and weighs 281 pounds. The 23-year-old from Barrie, Ontario, was drafted by the B.C. Lions in the fifth round (44th pick) of the 2024 CFL Draft.
Collegiately, Dava played five seasons at Tennessee Tech (2019-23) making 87 tackles (41 solo, 46 assists), 24.5 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one pass breakup in 48 games for the Golden Eagles. In 2023, Dava made 15 tackles (8 solo, 7 assists), 5.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack in 9 games.
In 2019, he was named to the Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American after finishing the season making 17 tackles (6 solo, 11 assists), four tackles for loss, and four sacks in 11 games.
Mitchell Townsend is six foot four and weighs 235 pounds. The 23-year-old from North Vancouver, British Columbia, was drafted by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the eighth round (70th pick) in the 2024 CFL Draft. Townsend appeared in two preseason games for the Ticats in 2024 making one tackle. The Ticats released him on June 1, 2024.
Collegiately, Townsend played four seasons at the University of British Columbia (2019, 2021-23) making 130 tackles (67 solo, 63 assists), nine tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 36 games for the Thunderbirds. In 2023, Townsend made 88 tackles (45 solo, 43 assists), 5.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games.
