MONTREAL -- It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to find out that Montreal Alouettes defensive lineman Shawn Lemon was one of the most thankful people on the field during their game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night.
There was a time not that long ago where Lemon had no idea if he’d ever set foot on a Canadian Football League field again, and not because of an injury or a team decision. No, Lemon -- by his own admission -- was a victim of himself, as he was suspended indefinitely in April 2024 for gambling and later was hit with a two-game suspension when he was found to have violated the CFL drug policy.
So for a year-and-a-half, the 14-year veteran sat on the sidelines and hoped that at some point his phone would ring with an opportunity to play again. In July, that call finally came. CFL commissioner Stewart Johnston decided to give Lemon another chance, and after a sit-down meeting between the two, it was annonced on July 16 Lemon would be eligible to return to playing in the CFL.
He played his first game of the 2025 season in the Roughriders 34-6 win on Saturday night, recording two tackles. Lemon spoke to Justin Dunk on the Rider Broadcast Network and started by expressing his gratitude for being able to return.
“First and foremost, I'm thankful to have an opportunity to be back playing, doing what I love to do, and that's play football,” Lemon said. “I'm definitely thankful to be back.”
A major part of Lemon’s reinstatement is his compliance with conditions imposed by the CFL, part of which is completing all mandatory league education, including the CFL match manipulation policy, and continuing to participate in his ongoing counselling sessions. Lemon has done his due diligence in that regard, and has taken ownership of the situation he put himself in.
“Be accountable, remorseful, genuine and understanding that I made a mistake,” Lemon said. “Take full responsibility for my actions and be honest and upfront about it and understand that it was a mistake and it was a lapse of judgment. I'm thankful [Johnston] sat down and we met and we got to talk about things. He got to know me better and I got to know him as well and I definitely appreciate the support from him.”
While there was no question Lemon was going to be sidelined for a lengthy amount of time when the suspension came down, plenty of work went on in the background to see to it that he would return to the field at some point. Agent Fred Weinrauch rallied for his player, and Lemon also had the support of the CFLPA as well as his Montreal coaches and teammates throughout the suspension and especially as the time for his return drew closer.
“They've been there for me throughout this process,” Lemon said. “I'm nothing but thankful to have good people around as far as in the working environment, as well as my family and friends.”
While Lemon had served his gambling suspension, he still had to sit out two more games after July 17 thanks to violating the CFL drug policy. Lemon said he was prescribed a weight-loss drug phentermine by a doctor, with the medication on the CFL banned list because of its stimulant properties. That, too, was a learning experience.
“It wasn't anything I was doing on my end, but I take full responsibility for it,” Lemon said. “Being a professional athlete, you gotta know the details of these things. It's a lesson learned going forward. Even if you're prescribed a medication, go about things the right way with TUE [Therapeutic Exemption Use] forms and all that.”
While he was unable to practice or work with a CFL team in his time away from the game, Lemon still made sure to keep busy. That included working out, attending counselling and a bit of extra time with man’s best friend.
“I trained every day, I spent time with my dog, I worked on myself,” Lemon said. “I took some counselling to work on myself as a man, so I can be ready from a mental aspect and a physical aspect as well. So it's training every day and family time and trying to better myself.”
If there’s a silver lining to Lemon’s time away from the game, it was a full year off from professional football’s wear-and-tear on his now 36-year-old body. A chance to let lingering injuries repair, become physically stronger and get ready for the opportunity should it come.
That has Lemon hoping the Alouettes will get an improved and even more dangerous version of himself now that they’ve taken the chance to bring him back into the fold -- something else he’s more than appreciative of.
“I never wanted to feel like I was entitled to an opportunity to rejoin the league,” Lemon said. “It's all up to the team's discretion on whether or not they wanted me to join their club and if they thought that I would be an asset to the club. I'm thankful for the people of Montreal, the city of Montreal, the coaching staff, my teammates for welcoming me back with open arms.”
With everything behind him, Lemon is more than happy to use himself as a cautionary tale for young players coming up in the league to avoid situations that got him into trouble.
“Use my lessons that I've learned throughout my career to help the younger guys growing up, coming up in the league, to do things the right way,” Lemon, a three-time CFL all-star, said. “There's not an experience in this league I would say that I haven't experienced as a player and I would be foolish not to give that knowledge to my teammates and peers around the league. That's what I've always done, I try to be a positive role model, not only in my locker room but to help out other peers as well.”
Through it all, the biggest thing was getting back on the field and playing the game. Saturday was that night, and Lemon was naturally incredibly excited to take his spot on the defensive line once again.
“The main thing I'm looking forward to is seeing the fans and being back inside of our stadium. Looking at it on TV, you can feel the atmosphere from there,” Lemon said. “So definitely excited to get that stadium feel back.”
