Larry Dean
, a renowned
professional football player
from
Tifton
, has
signed
a deal to
return
to the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
of the
Canadian Football League
.
Last season
,
Dean
, 31, a
linebacker
, had
left
the
Tiger-Cats
to join the
Edmonton Eskimos
on a
one-year contract
during free agency. He had a
stellar year
with
Edmonton
, starting
17
games at
middle linebacker
and making
86
defensive tackles,
eight
tackles for a loss,
three
special teams tackles,
one quarterback sack
and
four
pass knockdowns.
He was named a
CFL West Division All-Star
and Edmonton’s
Most Outstanding Defensive Player
last year.
Just
three weeks ago
,
Dean
was
inducted
into the
Valdosta State University Athletic Hall of Fame.
He led the
VSU Blazers
in
tackles
for
three years
and ranks
second all-time
in
Valdosta State history
in that category. His performance was so influential that he was named both an
All-American
and
National Defensive Player of the Year
.
Dean
also was a
four-time All-State
player at
Tift County High School
and was
inducted
into the
Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame
in
2018
.
The
6-foot, 226-pound Tifton native
has appeared in
72
career
Canadian Football League
games with
69
starts at
middle linebacker
during
four
seasons with the
Tiger-Cats
(2016-18) and
Eskimos
(2019).
Dean
is a
three-time divisional CFL all-star
. Before his arrival in the CFL,
Dean
played in
61 National Football League games
with the
Minnesota Vikings
(2011-13) and
Buffalo Bills
(2014), registering
37
defensive tackles,
one
forced fumble and
one
fumble recovery.
In
2012
,
Dean
was
one
of only
11 special teams players
on the
NFC’s Pro Bowl ballot
.
Through his local
foundation
,
Dean
in
November
partnered with the
United Way of South Central Georgia
to distribute
free turkeys
and other items to
needy Tift County families.
