ALOUETTES ACQUIRE CHRIS WILLIAMS FROM B.C.

MONTREAL – The Montreal Alouettes announced on Tuesday that the club has acquired 30 year-old, all-star wide receiver Chris Williams of the B.C. Lions in return of defensive end Gabriel Knapton.

Williams, (5’9”, 155 lbs.) made his Canadian Football League debut in 2011 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He has been successful in his five seasons North of the border, registering four seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards. Last season, in only nine games, he collected 415 yards on 38 receptions and added a major. He totaled 5,237 yards and 33 touchdowns on 356 receptions in five campaigns in the CFL. In 2016, he set a new CFL record for receiving yards in the first three games of the season with performances of 176, 187 and 130 yards.

The Rio Rancho, NM native also excels on special teams as he collected 1,668 yards on 165 punt returns while adding 457 yards on 23 kickoff returns over his CFL career. In 2012, he scored five punt return touchdowns.

In 2011, he was voted CFL Rookie of the Year. He also earned the title of Most Outstanding Special Teams player the following season and was named to the CFL All-Star Team. He was named to the CFL East All-Star Team four times (2011, 2012, 2015, 2016) and won the Grey Cup in 2016 with the Ottawa REDBLACKS. He spent four seasons with New Mexico State University in the NCAA.

“We are excited to have acquired such a versatile player. Williams can change the pace of a game with his electrifying play both on offence and on special teams and we look forward to seeing him on the field next season”, said Alouettes’ General Manager Kavis Reed.

He also played for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints. In 2014 he played seven games with the Chicago Bears.

Reed also had good words for Knapton: “On behalf of the Montreal Alouettes, I thank Gabriel for his work with us during these four years. He has always acted professionally, both in the locker room and on the field. We wish him the best of luck for the rest of his career.”

Knapton, 28, played 68 games with the Alouettes spanning from 2014 to 2017. In four seasons he collected 175 tackles and 32 sacks. He had his best campaign in 2015 where he earned 54 defensive tackles and 11 sacks. In 2014, he was named the Alouettes’ Rookie of the Year with the Alouettes. The Mead, CO played for the University of Wyoming in the NCAA.