McLennan Attributes Work Ethic To His Upbringing
Another high tempo, four-hour practice has just wrapped up and the sweltering Kamloops heat is once again taking its toll. But Ivan McLennan isn’t quite done yet.
The newly acquired defensive linemen takes part in an extra work session led by his Montreal turned BC teammate Gabriel Knapton. And then comes the media requirements and subsequent chat with yours truly. A pain in the butt? Far from it. That’s just the way McLennan was brought up as a young kid.
“I take all the inspiration from my mom,” said McLennan.
“She just works so hard; 12-16 hour shifts, whatever she could do to make ends meet and put food on the table. If she can go to work for that long, I feel I can do my thing out here on the football field for two or three hours, doing something I love.”
His mother Donna, who had immigrated to the United States from Belize, raised Ivan and his three siblings on her own. Their father Paul spent all of Ivan’s teenage years in prison. Not having a father figure and living in the rough area of South Central in Los Angeles made it all that more important for him to find an escape. And football was it. He was one of the lucky ones.
“It helped me overcome a lot of obstacles,” explained McLennan.
“Coaches and older players became my father figures. I learned so many life lessons and about the game. You can definitely say football saved me. I continue to do it for my family, my good friends I know didn’t have the opportunity to do this and also some of my friends that are no longer with us on this earth. I just want to make everybody proud.”
The Washington State product is one of many new faces looking to turn heads in Kamloops. A natural defensive end, McLennan will be expected to provide depth behind the likes of Knapton and Odell Willis.
After attending Atlanta Falcons training camp as a non-drafted free agent in 2016, he migrated north to the Montreal Alouettes, racking up 17 defensive tackles, a sack and playing a role on special teams in his 11 games. At 6’3 and 238 pounds, he certainly passes the eye test.
“It’s been a grind, but it’s been fun. I like the atmosphere here in Kamloops,” explained McLennan.
“We’re all just trying to get better as a unit. (defensive line) Coach (Randy) Melvin is helping us battle and make sure we go into the season ready.”
With some equally as impressive personnel on the other side of the line, those battles at practice have been must watch.
“Our O-line is really good. I love competing with those dudes from one-on-one to team and all those other drills we do. They’re big and physical like us so it’s a great battle every day.”
Above everything else, he is excited to have a chance to win. The Alouettes were 3-15 last season and McLennan can already see how much more potential his new squad in orange can have, providing a lot of the fellow new players also live up to the billing.
“Anytime I can just continue to play the game I love, I just feel blessed to do so,” stated the defensive end.
“Being here on the west coast, playing for a legend like Wally and being part of that proud tradition the BC Lions live up to is just amazing.”
And he will use the same mentality from when he was a redshirt at Washington State: you have to earn every rep.
“Being at the program taught me how to grind,” said McLennan.
“We went 3-9 my first two years there, but one thing I can appreciate about them is they never promised me anything, never gave me a starting spot, nothing. I had to earn everything and I appreciate them doing that. In this life, nobody is going to just give you something. You have to work for it. I ended my college career winning the Sun Bowl and had a couple of sacks and a pick in that game. It was my best memory and a perfect way to finish (my college career).”
Now it’s about the Grey Cup and continuing to work for his family. Paul has since been released from prison and is now back in his native Jamaica working construction and trucking jobs. The two of them talk and Ivan noted how happy he is that his Dad is doing better. Donna continues to work those long shifts as a nurse in Los Angeles.
“I’ll always say she’s my hero,” stated McLennan.
“I feel that’s where I get my work ethic from.”
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com