Shawn Lemon's move from the NFL to Ottawa helped save the Redblacks' season

WINNIPEG–When the Ottawa Redblacks lost sack leader and star defensive end Aston Whiteside for the season August 30 against Saskatchewan, it seemed like an important moment. The Redblacks had a remarkable 10 sacks that day (appropriately enough, in a game where defensive line coach Leroy Blugh was recognized for his recent Canadian Football Hall of Fame induction), and won 35-13 against the Roughriders, which improved them to 5-4. Still, there were big questions about how they'd replace Whiteside's production and if they would still be able to get to the quarterback without him. Enter Shawn Lemon, who answered both questions.

Lemon had 13 sacks for Calgary in 2014, then headed to the NFL with Pittsburgh and then San Francisco. After the 49ers released him Aug. 31, he signed with Ottawa Sept. 2 and stepped right into the lineup, becoming one of the rare NFL cuts to make an instant impact.  Lemon had five sacks down the stretch and was a big part of the Redblacks' pass rush, and he helped them go 6-3 in the regular season and win the East Final. That's remarkable, especially considering that he didn't play with Ottawa before his NFL stint, so he was stepping into a somewhat-different scheme. He said he felt like he fit in right away thanks to the Redblacks' group of defensive linemen, though, especially Justin Capicciotti and Keith Shologan.

"It was easy because of the group of guys we have, like Cap and Shologan and all those guys, proven players in this league," Lemon said. "It's just a family atmosphere so it was easy to mesh with."

Capicciotti said Lemon was an ideal acquisition for the Redblacks, and one who fit in well immediately.

"He fit in instantly into our system," Capicciotti said. "He knew what we were about. We'd played together before, so we knew each other already. He fit in perfectly, and he's helped us a lot."

Lemon said he wasn't too down after being cut by San Francisco, but he opted to come back to the CFL to get a chance to play instead of trying to stick on a practice squad.

"It wasn't disappointing, because you understand the business side of things," he said. "You've just got to make the smart move for yourself. I could have easily have bounced around someone's practice squad, but I wanted to have something long-term and be in a place where I was wanted."

He said Ottawa was a particularly good fit thanks to head coach Rick Campbell, who was his defensive coordinator with Calgary in 2013.

"He's a person I've always kept in contact with," Lemon said. "He brought me to Calgary from Edmonton, so he's been a huge part of why I came to Ottawa."

Lemon said he's enjoyed being a part of the Redblacks' line so far, and he particularly enjoys working with Blugh, who's been key to their success.

"It's just good for us to have a coach like Coach Blugh who's played this game, been successful, a Hall of Famer," Lemon said. "He makes it easy for us with the game plan. We just execute what he puts down."

Lemon said his experience playing with the Redblacks has been great so far thanks to the team's approach.

"It's family first, a family atmosphere," he said. "When it's a family atmosphere, it relates over well to the field."

It's worked out well on the field for both Lemon and the Redblacks so far. We'll see if that continues in Sunday's game, but this midseason acquisition may yet have an important role to play in trying to bring Ottawa a Grey Cup.