
Dave Chidley/CFL.ca

Most everyone can look back and heave a sigh of relief over something they didn’t do.
BC Lions receiver Justin McInnis remembers a decision he toyed with when playing high school basketball.
“I was pretty good,” he said after practice this week at the Lions facility in Surrey. “I almost quit football for basketball in high school. Thank God I stayed with football.”
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A decision McInnis has no regrets over is deciding to sign as a free agent with the Lions this year after three CFL seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
“I just wanted a fresh start,” said McInnis. “I saw how explosive this receiving group was. I wanted to be part of something special.
“I wanted to get a taste of a new thing, compete for a starting job. I knew the best way to do that is to compete against the best in the league, and we definitely have the best group in the league.”
After just two games with the Lions McInnis is making his presence felt with six catches for 96 yards. He led all BC receivers with four catches for 79 yards in last weekend’s 22-0 win over the Edmonton Elks.
At six-foot-five and 210 pounds McInnis is big target, especially on second-down plays. He uses his basketball background to block out, hold his ground and then go after the ball.
“That’s definitely something I pride myself in,” said the 26-year-old Canadian. “Even throughout my college career I was always one of those 50-50 guys. I like to look at it as 70-30. I have a better chance of catching it than not.
“That’s something that starts in practice. We always talk about who is going to make the play. It’s your job to go out and do it.”
McInnis has carved himself a niche in a receivers group deep in talent with players like Dominique Rhymes, Keon Hatcher, Jevon Cottoy, Lucky Whitehead and Alexander Hollins.
“He brings a different aspect to the room,” said Jason Tucker, BC’s receivers coach. “He’s a big body, he can go up and get the ball, box people out. It makes it tougher on smaller defensive backs to defend him.
“Any coach would love a big guy his size ,with his skill set.”
Quarterback Vernon Adams said McInnis has taken the talent he showed in training camp into the regular season.

McInnis appeared in 14 games as a rookie with the Roughriders, making 10 catches for 149 yards (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
“He has so much ability,” said Adams. “He’s catching everything in his area.
“He’s a big target out there. I’m glad he’s on our team because he’s a big target and he’s good.”
McInnis may see even more balls this week. Both Hatcher, who missed the first two games, and Rhymes will be sidelined with foot injuries when the Lions (2-0) play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-0) Thursday at IG Field in a battle for first place in the CFL West.
The match pitches a Bomber offence that leads the league in averaging 43.5 points and 437 yards of net offence a game against a Lions defence that has allowed just 15 points and 400 yards of offence.
“I’m super excited,” said McInnis. “Winnipeg always comes out hard.
“I’m looking forward to going out there early and silencing that crowd. Just go out and have the biggest game of the year. Show everyone we’re the number one team in the West. We’re going to take that spot this year for sure.”
McInnis was born in Montreal and attended Arkansas State, where he had 110 catches for 1,548 yards and 10 touchdowns in 25 games.
“It was definitely a big change,” he said . “Everything you hear about Arkansas and how weird it is, it’s kind of true.
“It was fun. I met a great group of guys, some people that I still call my brothers to this day.”
Saskatchewan selected McInnis sixth overall in the 2019 CFL Draft. In his rookie season he appeared in 14 games, making 10 catches for 149 yards.
An injury resulted in him playing in only six games in 2021. His best game as a pro came in 2022 when he had six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown in an Aug. 19 game against the Lions.
In three seasons with the Riders McInnis dressed for 33 games, making 48 catches for 596 yards and two touchdowns.
“One of the biggest things was I hadn’t been able to really stay healthy my first few years,” he said. “I dealt with injuries.
“I just didn’t feel like the system was a big fit for me.”

McInnis says he moved to BC looking for a ‘new perspective’ (BCLions.com)
Given the chance, McInnis decided a change of scenery would help his career.
“I was getting a lot of playing time, it was just the time,” to leave, he said. “I knew a lot of our guys were leaving. I knew they (the organization) were kind of going in a different direction.
“I just wanted a clean slate, somewhere to go and get a new perspective, hopefully compete for a starting job.”
The move to the West Coast has been invigorating.
“The biggest difference I would say is the atmosphere in the locker room,” said McInnis. “You can tell this group of guys are really close.
“We have so much fun at practice, but we work really hard. It makes it a lot easier because you’re competing with them but then you go in the locker room afterward and talk about it.”
Tucker said McInnis has plenty of untapped talent.
“He’s still young,” said the former three-time CFL all-star receiver. “There’s a lot of upside.”
McInnis is excited about being given the chance to become a better receiver on a team with Grey Cup potential.
“There’s always room to grow,” he said. “You’re never perfect, there’s always something to work on, to get better at.
“I’m looking forward to this year because I feel the sky’s the limit for myself and this whole receiving group. I’m exited to go out and perform.”