Call It Personal Reasons

Call it what you want, but BC Lions kicker Paul McCallum has left the team and was given his full release a short two days after leaving training camp.

Why is anyone’s guess, but we can all speculate, but one has to ask if it’s something that has to do with the new Coaching staff the Lions have on board?

Earlier in the off-season (March) the League sent out a statement indicating that Lions kicker Paul McCallum would be returning for his 23rd season in the league.

It would be his 12th season with the Lions, and that he would play an key role with the team heading into the 2015 CFL Season for the Lions.

We all know how interesting sport can be and in a surprise move by the Steelers they announced that they had released Richie Leone (23) and was now available to the  Lions.

The Lions had hoped to sign Leone who was a member of the team’s practice roster last season, after watching him send impressive kicks while with the Lions for a month in 2014.

Leone is placed at just half the age of Paul McCallum who is listed at 45 and it might be they want a youthful product on the field moving forward.

It was also noted that many  had speculated that McCallum was out with the Lions as they were looking for a younger person to replace him.

Buono told the media “This (McCallum’s release) had been something we discussed going back three years from today so this is not a surprise, but we were we disappointed that Richie didn’t sign with us and signed with the NFL?

It complicated things. If Richie and Anthony Fera were on our roster prior to training camp, would we have had this (retirement) discussion with Paul?

Paul has been a great kicker and of course he is no doubt an instant Hall of Famer when the time arises and regardless of what you might think no one questions that about Paul.

From the sound of it the Lions would like to have one person do all three, which are field goals, punting and kickoffs for the team and just maybe a younger player can step up for this role.

Head Coach Jeff Tedford told the media “I think Paul and Wally have been having conversations for a long time and at some point, there needs to be a changing of the guard.”

Regardless of what you might think, Paul will be missed and the fan’s will be the judge of this, both on and off the field, so let’s hope things work out for the Lions and Paul.

Let’s not forget that Paul is a local player that suited up for the Surrey Rams using his right foot to win over the fan’s in the CFL.

The former Surrey Ram and Queen Elizabeth Secondary grad — who celebrated his 45th birthday on Jan. 7 — kicked field goals on a consistent basis for the BC Lions this past season.

His career has out lasted many and for him to play for 22 years is something that no one can take away from him.

He won two Grey Cups, is a five-time CFL All-Star and was the Grey Cup’s Most Valuable Canadian and the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player.

He set the record in 2011 with 30 most all-time consecutive field goals made in the CFL and incidentally this was the year the Lions won their last Grey Cup, defeating Winnipeg 34-23 in front of a record 54,313 fans – naturally it was at BC Place.

He also holds the record for the longest field goal (62 yards) and highest field goal kicking accuracy in a single season.

Don’t count him out, he just might get resigned by another club!!