CFL suspends B.C. Lions DL Kemoko Turay following postgame brawl

Photo courtesy: Steven Chang/B.C. Lions

The Canadian Football League has suspended B.C. Lions defensive lineman Kemoko Turay one game for “inciting a postgame altercation” against the Montreal Alouettes.

The Lions recorded a 21-20 walk-off win over Montreal on Saturday, after which Turay tried to enter the tunnel to the Alouettes locker room at Percival Molson Stadium.

The 29-year-old was caught on camera verbally sparring with Montreal defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, who lunged towards him before being held back by team staff members. It appeared as though Turay landed a punch on Adeyemi-Berglund, at which point multiple bystanders intervened. Video of the incident quickly went viral.

In a statement to 3DownNation, Turay claimed he was having a conversation with Montreal offensive lineman Jamar McGloster, who he knew previously, when he was approached by an individual telling him to leave the area. He also claimed that Adeyemi-Berglund was the first to land a punch after the altercation broke out.

Turay is a former second-round NFL draft pick, who recorded 34 defensive tackles, seven tackles for loss, 12 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery over 41 career games with the Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers. Through five games in B.C., he has recorded six defensive tackles and two sacks.

In a postgame interview with Alouettes reporter Joey Alfieri, Adeyemi-Berglund claimed that Turay made it into Montreal’s locker room where he was “screaming profanity” and “throwing punches at coaches and players.”

Two members of the Montreal Alouettes — Adeyemi-Berglund and fellow defensive lineman M.J. Sherman — were fined for engaging in the postgame brawl.

The league issued two other fines this week. Montreal offensive lineman Pier-Olivier Lestage was fined for “making inappropriate contact with a TSN camera operator,” while Ottawa linebacker Frankie Griffin was fined for delivering a high hit on Edmonton quarterback Tre Ford.

As per CFL policy, the amount of each player fine was not announced. Fines for dress code violations, discipline involving teams or league staff, and players who have been released are also not announced.

The B.C. Lions (2-3) will visit the Edmonton Elks (1-3) at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday, July 13 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT. B.C. is coming off a 21-20 walk-off win over the Montreal Alouettes, while Edmonton got its first win of the season in a 39-33 home victory of the Ottawa Redblacks.

The weather forecast calls for a high of 24 degrees and a mix of sun and cloud. The game will be broadcast on TSN and RDS in Canada and on CFL+ internationally. Radio listeners can tune-in on 730 CKNW in Vancouver and 880 CHED in Edmonton.