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The NFL’s Loss is BC Lions’ Gain in the Case of Adams, Hollins, and Stanback

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Make no bones about it: every footballer in North America dreams of being selected in the NFL Draft after a stellar college career.

But the backstop of the Canadian Football League provides those who don’t quite hit the big time in the United States a second chance at redemption, with the BC Lions taking full advantage of that ahead of the 2024 season.

The likes of Vernon Adams, Alexander Hollins, and William Stanback are now veritable CFL veterans having failed to make the grade in the NFL, but that has very much been to the benefit of the British Columbia franchise this term.

Making Up for Lost Time

The trio named above all had a shot – to some or lesser an extent – in the NFL, having been signed to franchises on full terms on a try-out basis.

But even so, the likes of the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, where they found themselves, are unlikely to be able to deliver on ambitions of Super Bowl glory any time soon – their sports betting odds for the 2024-25 season range from 16/1 to 66/1.

Sites like Paddy Power News will of course focus on the endeavours of those more likely to enjoy post-season success, like the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, but over in the CFL the race for the Grey Cup feels far more open.

That said, with the Blue Bombers struggling to get anything going so far this season, the door is ajar for the BC Lions to dominate both the West Division and the post-season shake-up.

The franchise is looking to end a 13-year wait for the Grey Cup, and it’s more than a decade since they prevailed in the West Division too.

But if 2024 is the season in which they put that hoodoo to bed, the Lions will have three of their NFL ‘rejects’ to thank for doing much of the heavy lifting…

Three Spirits

For Hollins in particular, it’s a case of what might have been in the NFL.

He was on the books of both the Vikings and the Cleveland Browns, making five appearances on the big stage.

It didn’t quite work out for the wide receiver there, but a switch to the CFL with the BC Lions has been nothing short of a masterstroke for all parties.

He ran in more than 1,100 points in 2023, while after just seven games (at the time of writing) in 2024, he’s already up to 663 yards and four touchdowns – earning him CFL Receiver of the Month status in June.

All receivers need a quality quarterback to feed them the ball, of course, so step forward Vernon Adams.

Despite a high-grade college career, Adams went undrafted in 2016 – later earning try-outs with the Seahawks and Washington Redskins, both of which came to nothing.

The 31-year-old found himself a home at the Montreal Alouettes, but in an eight-year CFL career, it’s at the Lions where he has produced his finest work.

Adams threw for 4,769 yards in 2023 – his career-best tally, while this term he’s on course to exceed 5,000 yards; that’s the bellwether of any fine quarterback in an 18-game regular season campaign.

And then we have William Stanback, the running back who was released by the Packers without making a single appearance.

Green Bay’s loss was the Lions’ gain; his 84-yard game against the Stampeders in Week 7 saw him earn Running Back of the Week honours.

So that’s three players who, but for a twist of fate, could have been playing their football in the NFL right now. As it is, they look increasingly likely to be competing for the Grey Cup at the end of the season instead.

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