Dean was part of a very successful Lions draft class in 2006 going in the first round - sixth overall to his hometown club. Dean along with Ricky Foley and Jason Pottinger (now with Toronto) were a big part of the Lions' depth during its championship run that year.

2006-2012:  Dean is one of three first round 2006 Canadian Draft selections to reach 100 CFL games played, all three having been chosen by the Lions (along with Jay Pottinger and Ricky Foley). He has been with the Lions for each of his seven CFL seasons, playing in 109 of 126 games over that span at both guard and centre.

He had a 64-game consecutive streak snapped in Week 9 of 2010 due to a season-ending leg injury. He has now played in seven post-season games for the club, including four division finals, one semi-final and the 2011 Grey Cup game.

Dean played four full seasons with the Simon Fraser Clan and was a fixture on their offensive line. He started all seven games in which he saw action in 2005 and was named to the Canada West Conference All-Star Team. He represented SFU at the 2005 East West Bowl held in Waterloo, Ontario.

Dean and his wife Amber live in the Vancouver area and spend as much time outdoors as possible during the off-season. An avid skier during the winter months, Dean also enjoys baseball and boating during the summer when not putting in time on the gridiron.

In addition to his work with various BC Lions community programs including Be More than a Bystander, Lions Pride, Read, Write & Roar and FortisBC Energy Champions, Dean finds time to operate his own business: Big Lug Disposal and Recycling.