The Toronto Argonauts signed defensive linemen Shawn Lemon and DeWayne Hendrix on Tuesday.
Shawn Lemon is six foot one and weighs 242 pounds. The 37-year-old from Waldorf, Maryland, re-signed with the Montreal Alouettes on July 17, 2025. In 2025, Lemon made seven tackles and one sack in five games. He became a free agent after the 2025 season.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed Lemon on July 18, 2011, and he was placed on the practice squad. Later, he signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and played one game in 2011.
Lemon also had stints with the Orlando Predators (AFL) and Sioux Falls Storm (IFL) in 2012 before returning to the CFL in 2012 with the Edmonton Eskimos. He played 12 games with 15 tackles, six sacks, and one forced fumble.
In 2013, Lemon signed with the Calgary Stampeders. He played two seasons in Calgary with 44 tackles, 16 sacks, one interception, and eight forced fumbles in 24 games. He is a member of the 2014 Grey Cup championship team.
After Calgary, Lemon left and signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and later the San Francisco 49ers, but returned to the CFL in 2015, signing with the Ottawa Redblacks. He made 13 tackles, six sacks, and three forced fumbles in nine games. He was named a CFL East All-Star after the 2015 season.
In 2016, Lemon returned to Saskatchewan for his second stint. He played one game with one forced fumble before he was traded to the Toronto Argonauts. In Toronto, he made 22 tackles, 14 sacks, and four forced fumbles in 16 games. After the season, he signed a contract extension.
During the 2017 season, Lemon made 18 tackles, eight sacks, and one forced fumble in 12 games, helping the Argonauts win the 105th Grey Cup. It was Lemon’s second Grey Cup championship.
Lemon began the 2018 season in Toronto, playing five games with five tackles, one sack, and one forced fumble before he was traded to the B.C. Lions. He played 13 games with 17 tackles and ten sacks for the Lions.
In 2019, he returned to Toronto as a free agent with 15 tackles and one sack in four games before he was again traded to the B.C. Lions. Lemon made 19 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles in ten games for the Lions.
Lemon signed with the Edmonton Elks on February 3, 2021, but was released on July 29, 2021. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders a day later on July 30, 2021. In 2021, Lemon made 26 tackles, eight sacks, and two forced fumbles in 11 games.
In 2022, Lemon made 29 tackles, 14 sacks, and five forced fumbles for the Calgary Stampeders. He was named a CFL West All-Star and CFL All-Star in 2022. Lemon played two seasons in Calgary with 55 tackles, 22 sacks, and seven forced fumbles in 28 games.
On July 23, 2023, Lemon signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He made 26 tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions, one touchdown, and one forced fumble in 13 games for the Alouettes in 2023, helping them win the 110th Grey Cup over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24.
In 2024, Lemon abruptly retired from the CFL on April 10, 2024. On April 24, 2024, the CFL suspended Lemon for gambling violations. However, Lemon appealed the suspension and was allowed to return to the field. Lemon made six tackles and one sack in four games before his suspension was reinstated on July 4, 2024, and he missed the rest of the regular season.
DeWayne Hendrix is six foot four and weighs 270 pounds. The 30-year-old from O’Fallon, Illinois, signed with the Toronto Argonauts on January 19, 2026. Hendrix was dealing with a hamstring injury and did not see any action for the Argonauts. The Argonauts released him on July 13, 2026.
The Miami Dolphins signed Hendrix as an undrafted free agent on May 10, 2019. In 2019, Hendrix made nine tackles (6 solos, 3 assists) and three sacks in four preseason games. The Dolphins released him on October 7, 2019.
He also spent time with the Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2020, he played for the St. Louis Battlehawks (XFL) with seven tackles (3 solos, 4 assists) and one sack in five games before the league ceased operations due to the pandemic.
The Toronto Argonauts signed Hendrix as a free agent on February 12, 2021. In 2023, made 23 tackles, six sacks, and one forced fumble in 15 games. Hendrix played three seasons in Toronto with 65 tackles, one tackle on special teams, eight sacks, and one forced fumble in 38 games. In 2022, he made 33 tackles, one tackle on special teams, and one sack in 16 games when the Argonauts beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the 109th Grey Cup.
Hendrix signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on February 14, 2024. In 2024, he made 17 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in 16 games. The Tiger-Cats released Hendrix on January 30, 2025. Hendrix signed with the B.C. Lions on February 2, 2025. In 2025, he made 21 tackles and four sacks in 13 games. The Lions released him on January 15, 2026.
Collegiately, Hendrix played one season at Tennessee in 2014 with two tackles (1 solo, 1 assist) in seven games for the Volunteers. Then, he transferred to Pittsburgh (2016-18) with 50 tackles (30 solos, 20 assists), 10 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 25 games for the Panthers.
