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The B.C. Lions’ Tuesday announcement that they were releasing Cameron Ontko doubled as a vote of confidence for Micah Awe at the linebacker position.

Ontko, 25, a second-year Lion who openly talked about patterning his game after Adam Bighill, had been considered one of the frontrunners for the spot left open by Bighill’s departure to the New Orleans Saints, but Awe, a newcomer out of Texas Tech, has been the one turning heads at training camp so far.

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Lions director of U.S. scouting Ryan Rigmaiden gave our Mike Beamish in April this scouting report on the 23-year-old Awe (pronounced: Ah-way) as part of a feature story on the drone aficionado.

He’s a chase and tackle guy — and a special player. He’s instinctive and smart, and I don’t just mean on the football field. He’s really suited to our (Canadian) game.