Well, that was quick.

On Monday (June 5), BC Lions announced theysa国际传媒檇 traded Surrey-raised football player Jonathan Kongo, just 15 days after the CFL team signed the standout defensive lineman.

The Lions acquired a 2024 draft pick from Hamilton Tiger-Cats in exchange for Kongbo, who had signed with the Lions partway through training camp and dressed for just one pre-season game, June 1 against Calgary.

Itsa国际传媒檚 not clear exactly what happened, but it seems like team chemistry was a problem.

sa国际传媒淚 think it just wasnsa国际传媒檛 gonna be a good fit,sa国际传媒� Lions head coach Rick Campbell said on Sportsnet 650 radio on Wednesday (June 7).

sa国际传媒淵ou know, we wanted it to work out, thatsa国际传媒檚 why we signed him, but sometimes if players arensa国际传媒檛 comfortable with the situation, or itsa国际传媒檚 not going to work out, then itsa国际传媒檚 better to move on. It was quite clear to me that he wasnsa国际传媒檛 comfortable with the situation, and thatsa国际传媒檚 too bad.sa国际传媒�

Campbell made it clear that it wasnsa国际传媒檛 Kongbosa国际传媒檚 on-field performance or style of play that was a problem.

sa国际传媒淣o, it was just being comfortable on the team,sa国际传媒� the coach said during the Halford & Brough morning show.

sa国际传媒淔or some reason, there was some disconnect there. We signed him, we wanted him and it wasnsa国际传媒檛 going to work out, and itsa国际传媒檚 just the way it goes. It happens once in awhile, and like I said we would have loved to have him. It didnsa国际传媒檛 seem to meshing really well and so we, you know, gave him a new home.sa国际传媒�

After kicking off in Calgary Thursday (June 8), the Lionssa国际传媒� home-opener for the 2023 season is Saturday, June 17 at BC Place Stadium, where LL Cool J is among pre-game performers.

DL speaks with media after today's practice. | |

sa国际传媒� Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats)

sa国际传媒淣ot a fitsa国际传媒� because I called out star players not showing up for practice, and guys not wanting to work out. Culture matters, itsa国际传媒檚 called pro football for a reason.

sa国际传媒� Jonathan Kongbo 馃嚚馃嚛 (@King_Kongbo)

On Twitter, after being traded, Kongbo said this about his brief time with the Lions: sa国际传媒渟a国际传媒橬ot a fitsa国际传媒� because I called out star players not showing up for practice, and guys not wanting to work out. Culture matters, itsa国际传媒檚 called pro football for a reason.sa国际传媒�

The 27-year-old Kongbo, a Holy Cross graduate who starred for the Surrey-area school team a decade ago, has played in the NFL and also .

Last October he dressed for a pair of games with Denver Broncos after signing a reserve/futures deal in January. , the Broncos lost 12-9 in overtime, but Kongbo scored a personal goal of making his NFL debut five games into Denversa国际传媒檚 season.

In Hamilton, Kongbo will have to quickly adapt to a new team just days before the start of the CFL season.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e played a couple times here and itsa国际传媒檚 good to finally be on the other side, getting with the guys, see the culture around here, how guys are working, so itsa国际传媒檚 been a really good couple days,sa国际传媒� .

He talked about the sa国际传媒渉ard-working, blue-collar spiritsa国际传媒� of Hamilton and how he thinks hesa国际传媒檚 a perfect fit for the city.

Asked what kind of player he is, Kongbo responded: sa国际传媒淔earless, tenacious, I love the game, love the work, love the cameraderie, I love getting after it, I love winning, so to all the Ti-Cats fans, yousa国际传媒檙e getting a player who loves to compete, a player who loves to get after it and a player who loves to win.sa国际传媒�

While at Holy Cross, Kongbo was something of an accidental football star, a guy who hadnsa国际传媒檛 played the game until Grade 12 at the Fleetwood-area Catholic school. Hesa国际传媒檇 been a basketball player at Kitsilano Secondary until transferring to Holy Cross, where the Crusaderssa国际传媒� coaches eventually coaxed him to try football, a game he didnsa国际传媒檛 embrace at first.

Born in Zaire, Konbgo moved with his family to Canada at age five.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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