The B.C. Lions re-signed defensive linemen Juliano Falaniko while signing wide receivers Stacy Chukwumezie and Hayden Hatten, defensive linemen Mark Ho Ching, Scean Mustin-Sherman, and Adam Rodriguez, and defensive back Anthony Witherstone on Friday.
Juliano Falaniko is six foot four and weighs 245 pounds. The 25-year-old from Pago Pago, American Samoa, signed with the B.C. Lions on November 27, 2024. In 2024, Falaniko made four tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble in five games. The Lions released him on November 3, 2024. The Lions re-signed Falaniko on November 22, 2024.
Collegiately, Falaniko played five seasons at USC (2017-21) with 21 tackles (13 solos, 8 assists), 1.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, and one fumble recovery in 37 games for the Trojans. Then, he transferred to Idaho in 2022 with 38 tackles (14 solos, 24 assists), 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, one pass breakup, and 1 forced fumble in 11 games for the Vandals.
Stacy Chukwumezie is six foot two and weighs 180 pounds. The 26-year-old from Downey, California, went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. He attended the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamps in 2023.
He was drafted by the Vegas Vipers (XFL) in the 2023 XFL Rookie Draft. Chukwumezie re-signed with the Vipers on October 24, 2023. He became a free agent when the Vipers were not included in the XFL and USFL merger that formed the United Football League (UFL). The B.C. Lions signed Chukwumezie on September 23, 2024, to a future contract.
Collegiately, Chukwumezie played two seasons at Cerritos College (2016-17) making 50 catches for 899 yards, five touchdowns, and one tackle (1 solo) in 19 games for the Falcons. He was named Second Team All-Northern Division.
In addition, he competed in track and field in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, Chukwumezie came in third place in the triple jump (14.25 meters) at the CCCAA State Championships after placing seventh at the Southern California Championships and fifth at the South Coast Conference Championships.
He also qualified for the Southern California Prelims in the long jump (7.26 meters), and high jump (1.90 meters), won the conference championship in the long jump, and placed second in the high jump.
Then, Chukwumezie transferred to Northern Arizona (2018-22) making 96 catches for 1,629 yards, 12 touchdowns, eight carries for 31 yards, one touchdown, and three kick returns for 75 yards on 28 games for the Lumberjacks.
Hayden Hatten is six foot two and weighs 207 pounds. The 24-year-old from Scottsdale, Arizona, signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent on May 3, 2024. He appeared in three preseason games targeted one time and recorded no stats. The B.C. Lions signed Hatten to a future contract on November 1, 2024.
Collegiately, Hatten played five seasons at Idaho (2019-23) making 244 catches for 3,449 yards, 33 touchdowns, one carry for -23 yards, completing 3 of 5 passes (60%) for 107 yards, two touchdowns, three kick returns for 25 yards, and four tackles (4 solo) in 45 games for the Vandals.
In 2023, Hatten made 93 catches for 1,231 yards, 9 touchdowns, and one carry for -23 yards, completing 2 of 3 passes (66%) for 77 yards, two touchdowns, and three tackles (3 solo) in 13 games. Hatten was named a two-time FCS All-American (2022-23) and a three-time First Team All-Big Sky Conference (2021-23).
Mark Ho Ching is six foot three and weighs 290 pounds. The 24-year-old from Oakland, California, attended the Chicago Bears rookie minicamp in 2024. The B.C. Lions signed Ching to a future contract on October 19, 2024.
Collegiately, Ching played four seasons at Northern Arizona (2019, 2021-23) making 54 tackles (23 solo, 31 assists), 12 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and four pass breakups in 31 games for the Lumberjacks. In 2023, he made 25 tackles (11 solo, 14 assists), four tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one pass breakup in 11 games. He was named Team Captain and earned the All-Big Sky Conference honors.
Scean Mustin-Sherman is six foot two and weighs 320 pounds. The 25-year-old from Fontana, California, signed with the Green Bay Blizzard (IFL) on February 23, 2024. In 2024, Mustin-Sherman made 24 tackles (12 solo, 12 assists), 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one blocked kick in seven games helping the Blizzard reach the Eastern Conference Championship Game.
Mustin-Sherman went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2023, he played for the Houston Roughnecks (XFL) making 7 tackles (4 solo, 3 assists), one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble in five games. The B.C. Lions signed Mustin-Sherman to a future contract on September 28, 2024.
Collegiately, Mustin-Sherman played one season at Citrus College in 2017 making 21 tackles (8 solo, 13 assists), 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks in nine games for the Owls. He was named First Team All-Western State Conference.
Then, Mustin-Sherman transferred to Sam Houston State (2018-21) making 55 tackles (28 solo, 27 assists), 17 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two pass breakups, one fumble recovery, and two blocked kicks in 44 games for the Bearkats. He is a member of the 2020-21 FCS National Championship Team.
Adam Rodriguez is six foot two and weighs 245 pounds. The 25-year-old from Provo, Utah, was with the TSL’s Blues in 2021. Then, the Philadelphia Stars drafted him in the second round of the 2022 USFL Supplemental Draft. In 2022, Rodriguez had 40 tackles (28 solo, 12 assists), eight tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and one safety in ten games.
In 2023, Rodriguez made 27 tackles (18 solo, 9 assist), six tackles for loss, six sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass breakup in ten games for the Stars in 2023.
He was named to the USFL All-Star Team. In two seasons with Philadelphia, Rodriguez has 67 tackles (46 solo, 21 assists), 14 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups, and one safety in 20 games.
The Houston Roughnecks drafted Rodriguez in the 2024 UFL Dispersal Draft. In 2024, Rodriguez made 23 tackles (11 solo, 12 assists), five tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup in nine games. The Roughnecks released Rodriguez on August 15, 2024. The B.C. Lions signed Rodriguez to a future contract on October 20, 2024.
Collegiately, Rodriguez played four seasons (2016-19) at Weber State making 199 tackles (98 solo, 101 assists), 22 sacks, 41 tackles for loss, ten pass breakups, one forced fumble, and three fumble recoveries in 52 games for the Wildcats. He is a two-time All-American.
Anthony Witherstone is six foot two and weighs 193 pounds. The 24-year-old from Warwick, Rhode Island, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2023. Witherstone made one tackle (1 solo) in one preseason game for the Kansas City Chiefs against the New Orleans Saints in 2023 before he was waived from injured reserve on August 21, 2023.
Then, Witherstone was drafted by the St. Louis Battlehawks (XFL) in the 2023 XFL Rookie Draft. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed Witherstone on March 12, 2024. Witherstone played one preseason game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders making one tackle. The Blue Bombers released him on May 25, 2024. The B.C. Lions signed Witherstone to a future contract on November 12, 2024.
Collegiately, Witherstone played six seasons at Merrimack University (2017-22) making 74 tackles (55 solos, 19 assists), two tackles for loss, four interceptions for 59 yards, two touchdowns, 19 pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 35 games for the Warriors.
