Lions kicker Paul McCallum converted all 11 of his field-goal attempts in last year's playoffs, including a record-tying six in a 25-14 win over Montreal in the 94th Grey Cup. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press).
Feature
McCallum is McClutch for Lions
Veteran CFL kicker looks to repeat success of last year's playoffs
Last Updated Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
Chris Iorfida, CBC Sports
Kickers are never the type to brag, not wanting to jinx things, but Paul McCallum of the B.C. Lions is feeling pretty confident about his game as the team prepares for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Canadian Football League West final.
“I feel like I’m getting stronger and more consistent and hitting the ball better towards the end of the season here,” he told CBCSports.ca.
It’s a sobering thought for opposing CFL teams, considering McCallum made all 11 field goal attempts in last season's playoffs, including a record-tying six in a 25-14 win over Montreal in the 94th Grey Cup.
The Lions are in a position to repeat as champions for the first time in franchise history, as well as become the first CFL team to win consecutive titles since Toronto in 1996-97.
B.C. often won by sizable margins during an eight-game winning streak to end the season, but the veteran kicker showed he was ready for any clutch moments that arose.
While many of his teammates were coasting through the final regular-season game against Calgary with first place in the West Division already locked up, McCallum nailed three field goals to help the club set a franchise record with its 14th win.
For McCallum, 37, part of the job is not treating any game or kick lightly.
“I approach every game like it’s the playoffs or Grey Cup,” he said. “I’m always just trying to better myself, so there’s not one kick to me more important than the other.”
McCallum finished with 166 points on the season and was only prevented from claiming the league scoring title because Hamilton was mostly incapable of scoring touchdowns, settling for field goals. As a result, rookie Nick Setta of the punchless Tiger-Cats edged McCallum by a single point.
Model of consistency
McCallum was also second to Setta in field goal efficiency with an 81.4 per cent success rate, and he ended the season having made a remarkable 563 consecutive point-after attempts. He also posted a healthy 44-yard punting average.
The Vancouver-born kicker spent a dozen seasons with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but the final two were trying, with a missed overtime kick in the 2004 playoffs leading to threats from some unruly fans and contract squabbles the following season paving the way for his departure.
Coming back to the club he played for in 1993-94, last season couldn’t have gone better for McCallum, who capped the campaign with a 19-point performance in the Grey Cup.
“It was just an accumulation of all the hard work put in the past season and it paid off in the end,” McCallum said. “Last year was a tough year for myself and my family, and to be able to come through everything the way that we did was icing on the cake.”
This season, the kicker’s only rough patch mirrored that of his team. McCallum went two-for-five in field goal tries in early August as B.C. lost consecutive games, including a one-point loss to Winnipeg.
Field goals can look routine, but even for a veteran there’s many things that can go wrong.
“If a snap’s not perfect or the hold is not perfect, instead of me just continuing to do my job, I try and alter it just a little bit. That’s a habit that’s really hard to break.”
While the kicker finished eight of 14 overall on field goals over 40 yards, he missed just one of his last five from the distance. Between 30 and 40 yards, he made seven of his last eight attempts.
McCallum booted 33 points in the team’s final three games of the season, showing he’s ready to try and duplicate last year’s heroics for the Lions.
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