XFL champion in 2023
Sankey was an XFL champion in 2023.
Darnell Sankey is a linebacker for the BC Lions and wears number 53.
92 CFL regular-season games6 seasons
Updated
About Darnell Sankey
Born on October 11, 1994, in San Jose, California, Darnell Sankey played college football at Sacramento State. He played for the Calgary Stampeders in 2021, then for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2022, when he had 120 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception and 2 passes defended in 18 regular-season games.
Sankey won the Grey Cup in 2023. He played for the Montreal Alouettes from 2023 to 2025 and has played for the BC Lions since 2026. Through the 2025 season, he had 456 tackles, 8 sacks, 3 interceptions and 17 passes defended in 74 regular-season CFL games.
Sankey had 8 tackles and 1 pass defended in a 34-10 loss against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Oct 23, 2026. Before that came 4 tackles and 1 pass defended in a 32-13 loss at the Calgary Stampeders on Oct 17, 2026, and 8 tackles and 1 sack in a 41-20 win against the Ottawa RedBlacks on Oct 9, 2026.
Agatha Research DeskUpdated Nov 12, 2026Season by season92
Every season, every CFL game of his career, newest season first.
| Season | Team | Games | Tackles | Sacks | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | BC | 18 | 114 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| 2025 | MTL | 18 | 101 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | MTL | 18 | 107 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2023 | MTL | 6 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2022 | SSK | 18 | 120 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2021 | CGY | 14 | 97 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Career | 92 | 570 | 11 | 4 | 29 |
How he is doing now
2026 defense114 tackles114 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 interception and 12 passes defended, 18 games
Lions11-92026 regular season
Last game8 tackles and 1 pass defendedOct 23 vs Bombers
Injury status
No injury reports on file.
Did you know?!
Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Sankey won the CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award in 2026.
12 tackles in Week 18
On Oct 7, 2022, in Week 18, Sankey had 12 tackles and 1 sack for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in an 18-14 loss at the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Career
Calgary Stampeders2021 - 14 games
Saskatchewan Roughriders2022 - 18 games
Montreal Alouettes2023 to 2025 - 42 games
BC Lions2026 to now - 18 games5years2021 to 2026
- 2021CFL debut23-20 loss vs Argonauts
- 2022Best gamevs Tiger-Cats
- 2026Best season114 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 INT in 18 games
- Oct 23, 2026Latest gamevs Bombers
Honors
- Grey Cup champion (2023)
- XFL champion (2023)
- CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award (2026)
- 2x CFL West All-Star (2021, 2026)
- 2x CFL East All-Star (2024, 2025)
Regular season
92 games
570 tackles, 11 sacks, 4 INT
First CFL game
Aug 7, 2021: 2 tacklesArgonauts 23, Stampeders 20
Latest game
Oct 23, 2026: 8 tacklesBombers 34, Lions 10
Most often against
The teams he has faced most, with his teams' record and his line against each.
Edmonton Elks12 games
8-4his teams
His line: 74 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 interception and 2 passes defended
Last met Jul 17, 2026
Ottawa RedBlacks12 games
12-0his teams
His line: 53 tackles, 2 sacks and 3 passes defended
Last met Oct 9, 2026
Toronto Argonauts12 games
5-7his teams
His line: 63 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 6 passes defended
Last met Oct 3, 2026
Winnipeg Blue Bombers11 games
3-8his teams
His line: 78 tackles and 3 passes defended
Last met Oct 23, 2026
BC Lions10 games
3-7his teams
His line: 76 tackles and 1 pass defended
Last met Aug 16, 2025
Calgary Stampeders10 games
5-4his teams
His line: 66 tackles and 4 passes defended
Last met Oct 17, 2026
Sources and updates
Stats, scores and injury reports come from Agatha's own records: the CFL's own game records (regular season) and its rosters' injured lists.
Updated Nov 12, 2026, 4:06 AM ET. Results and form refresh after every game; biography facts are checked weekly.