Paul McCallum Archives | BC Lions Football

The Lions Notebook: Training Camp Edition – June 6th

June 7, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

I have a confession to make; I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to the BC Lions. That probably explains why on four hours sleep, I got up at 4:00am to make the three and a half hour trip for our annual pilgrimage to Lions training camp. Why is it so easy to get up for football, but it feels like waking the living dead to go to work?

But I digress.

Today was the first day of our five day visit to the tournament capital of Canada, Kamloops, BC, and the best word I can describe what I saw on day one is, impressive. Here are some thoughts, in a special training camp edition of the Lions Notebook.

Tedford’s Way

We’ve all heard a lot about the “Tedford Tempo” but until you see it live, you can’t begin to understand how different this camp is from any other BC Lions camp you’ve seen. Everything is timed and organized down to the second. As this photo of the segment clock that Jeff Tedford brought in shows.

There is a much more business like feel to this camp, than any other camp I’ve attended. Coaches where headsets to communicate, there is less chatting and joking around by the players. You can tell they are here to work, and I haven’t always felt that way watching a Lions practice.

On the Short Side

One of the big questions at this camp is who will replace 11-year Lion Dante Marsh on the short side corner. During this session that player was Ronnie Yell, who looks more than ready to take on the challenge. Yell was one of the most impressive players I saw on the field today, and he had some aggressive battles with Emmanuel Arceneaux.

Behind Centre

Jonathan Jennings is making an impression at camp and you could see why. He throws a very nice ball and was by far the best QB on the field in the morning session. Travis Lulay continues to pace himself, and didn’t attempt many deep throws. Travis Partridge I thought had a bit of a shaky session, while Greg McGhee had some nice completions as well, but doesn’t look as polished as Jennings. John Beck has made his way to Kamloops (18 pounds lighter) and will undergo more tests here before being given the green light to practice.

The Offensive Line

This seems to be a constant concern for the Lions and for once it would be to come to a camp and not have to talk about it. The injury to Hunter Steward certainly muddied the waters for the team but there were also some interesting observations to be made during Saturday’s sessions.

For one, Kirby Fabien is not in the first unit, replaced instead by Matt Norman at left guard, while Dean Valli is on the left. This is concerning simply for the fact that the Lions (or at least their fans) have been hoping that Fabien would return to the form he showed prior to his knee injury in 2013. Has Fabien fallen from grace that far, or are the Lions simply getting Norman work at guard to see where he fits into their plans after removing him from the centre spot?

Paul McCallum

I’ve seen a lot of reaction to the Paul McCallum release that was announced today. Some fans are mad at the way it was handled by the Lions, some are miffed to why McCallum was released at all without a proven field goal kicker on the roster and others are wondering why McCallum was even brought to camp if they had other plans, only to be asked to retire after five days.

It’s my personal belief that the Lions tried to do the right thing and let McCallum call it a day without being officially cut. They brought him to camp, because until recently they only had McCallum on the roster. When Richie Leone was released by the club and the Lions came to terms with Anthony Fera, the picture changed, but the Lions still needed to see how they performed.

At 44 years of age, even Paul McCallum admits that his best days are behind him. He’s still a very reliable field goal kicker from inside 45 yards, and his experience with every stadium in the league is second to no one in his position. But his punt average is dropping, the Lions are leaving points on the field because of his limited range, and they have two guys in camp that have looked very good.

There will be some growing pains with whoever handles the kicking duties, but it you can’t wait forever to make the switch, and the Lions feel they have two very promising kickers to choose from and may indeed keep both of them on the roster.

Only Wally Buono and Paul McCallum really know how all of this went down and in time we will all hear the story. In the meantime, the McCallum era in BC is definitely over and we wish Paul well. He’s been a great BC Lion and he’s had a hall of fame career.

Keeping it Light

At the end of the morning session, Tedford gathered his players around and told them it was time to kick field goals. Both Leone and Fera would each kick two field goals. For everyone they missed the whole team would have to do “gassers” or wind sprints for those of you unfamiliar with the term.

But there was a catch, the rest of the team was told to make as much noise as possible to try and distract the two kickers. Thankfully for them, all four field goals were made and the two kickers instantly became the most popular guys on the field.

Hot as…

The Lions practiced Saturday under baking hot conditions Saturday in Kamloops. Jeff Tedford chose to make the afternoon session a walk through, and it lasted just over an hour, which was no doubt just fine with the players.

Sunday is supposed to be even hotter, and the Lions will have another light day, as the club’s annual Fan Fest takes place at Hillside Stadium. It’s free for all and the gates open at 12:30. We’ll have photos and other tidbits from the event here on 3DownNation.com.

Lions Have Three Key Areas to Address

February 26, 2015 By Brian Wawryshyn

With the BC Lions gearing up for the Canadian Football League draft and about to start free agent camps all over the US, the club has three major areas of concern heading into the season. New head coach Jeff Tedford is already bearing fruit for the Lions with his US connections, as evidenced by the signing of a highly regarded QB prospect in Greg McGhee. Hopefully the Leos can uncover a few more gems over the next few months, but here are three key areas they need to address before training camp.

Quarterback:

Minus Kevin Glenn, the Lions have chosen to stick with what they had last season, while adding McGhee as a work in progress. The condition of Travis Lulay is a huge and legitimate concern that has yet to unfold. The Lions would dearly love for Lulay to be strong from the start of camp, but they also want him to realize he has to change if he’s going to stay healthy.

That’s a feat that will be easier said than done with a competitor such as Lulay, but at this point in his career he really has no choice, and he’s a lot more valuable to the Lions with his knowledge, leadership and experience than he is trying to recover a fumble or getting that extra yard.

Behind Lulay the depth chart likely goes like this; John Beck, Travis Partridge, Jordan Rodgers and Greg McGhee. While that will likely be the order heading into training camp, Jeff Tedford comes to the Lions with the reputation of being able to develop quarterbacks, and Wally Buono is no slouch in that department either. The Lions obviously feel they have some good options here, and will get their first chance to evaluate them at their offensive mini-camp in April. Don’t be surprised if the pecking order changes over the first few weeks of training camp.

The Offensive Line:

Paramount to the success of Travis Lulay will be the ability to keep him protected, and the Lions took the first step in that direction by going in a new one with new offensive line coach Doug Malone. Malone was in charge of a pretty good offensive line in Saskatchewan, both at protecting the QB and opening holes for the run. Contrary to some opinions out there the cupboard in BC isn’t bare, it just has to stay healthy and have a chance to get cohesive.

The Lions are solid with Jovan Olafioye at left tackle, while Jermarcus Hardrick showed he could play last season. Hunter Steward also did well at right tackle last season before getting hurt. The real question is what happens on the interior of the line. The Lions really need solid contributions from both Steward and Kirby Fabien. Fabien showed such promise in his rookie year before his devastating knee injury, but struggled last season both physically and mentally. T-Dre Player will also be a season wiser, after spending much of last season on the practice roster. The Lions extended Cameron Thorn and there is talk of him competing with Matt Norman at centre, perhaps giving the Lions the option to use him at guard. Dean Valli will also return, but the Lions need to have their youth start to emerge and succeed while also looking to add to this pool in the draft.

Kicker/Punter

Paul McCallum is the only kicker currently on the roster, which will no doubt change before training camp. The future hall of famer is a safety net for the Lions, but they would dearly love to find someone who can handle all the kicking duties. They hoped they had found that with Richie Leone, but lost him when he found work with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

McCallum’s leg certainly isn’t what it used to be, but he is a solid directional punter. The Lions will give up field position and long field goal attempts if he is the best option. Look for at least two bodies to join him in Kamloops.

From The Stands – Lions 14 Eskimos 27

July 22, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

Travis Lulay and the BC have yet to fire on all cylinders this season.

The Eskimos and Lions engaged in a defensive battle for much of Friday’s contest, but as was the case in Saskatchewan a week earlier, special teams and a costly mistake were contributing factors in the team’s second loss of the season and second in as many games. Here are my thoughts, from the stands.

Gentlemen, Watch Mr. Harris Please

If every BC Lion started the game with the determination that Andrew Harris did last night, the result may have been a lot different. In fact, after some of the plays he had early on, it’s a wonder he didn’t jack his teammates up to his level. Harris refused to be tackled and early on it was clear the game plan was to get him involved to neutralize the Edmonton pass rush. For the most part they were successful, racking up 453 yards in offence against the “league’s best defence”. Harris finished the night with 185 yards, 120 of them through catch and runs.

Special Teams

The Lions racked up much of that offence because they were starting deep in their own end much of the night. The Eskimos on the other hand enjoyed numerous starts at midfield thanks to shoddy return coverage and below average punting from Paul McCallum. McCallum has had a shaky start to 2012, and looked visibly frustrated coming off the field at times last night. The Lions didn’t even attempt a 44 yard field goal, in the dome, with the roof closed. That has to tell you something about the confidence that the coach has in his special teams unit right now. I’m not sure what Benevides can do to fix the situation, but it needs to be rectified quickly.

All That Talent, So Little Use

With the exception of Harris and Marco Iannuzzi, who is proving he belongs, the Lions didn’t have many other weapons on the night. Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce had four catches between them and that’s just a waste. The Lions are going to have to find ways to get Bruce and Simon more involved, and what has happened to Akeem Foster? This was a guy who looked like he had arrived before injuring his knee last year, and now is almost invisible in the offence.

Travis Lulay looked uneasy at times and appeared to lock onto one receiver on numerous occasions. Nick Moore returned to the lineup and showed ok, although he dropped one with no one around him that won’t do him any favours in his bid to make more frequent appearances in the lineup.

Defence

The defence did their job for the most part. I thought Dante Marsh was having a strong game before he left with another dislocated shoulder. Hopefully he will be ok, and Marsh was telling anyone who would listen after the game that he would be fine. It’s the same shoulder he’s injured in the past.

Just two sacks for the defence on the night, and the difference was the two turnovers by the Eskimos defence. The Lions need to get more of those from their defence, especially with the offence not firing on all cylinders.

The Eskimos

The Eskimos came as advertised. I though Steven Jyles had a pretty good game, connecting on some nice plays before leaving with reported concussion symptoms. Kerry Joseph did his job managing the game the rest of the way. I’m still not sold that the Eskimos can win a Grey Cup with that tandem though. Much like the Lions tried to neutralize the Lions pass rush, the Eskimos did the same with a lot of work for Hugh Charles who finished with 118 yards rushing and another 61 through the air.

Their defence is solid, but the Lions did a nice job with the Eskimos front seven, only allowing one sack on the night, although there were many hurries. Right now you have to say the Eskimos are playing the best defence in the league and that unit is definitely winning them games, but it’s not November yet.

The Turning Point

With the Lions looking to punch it into the end zone to take the lead they chose to pass the ball on first and goal. Lulay tried to force a pass into Geroy Simon a touch late, who had two defenders on him. TJ Hill contacted Simon, the ball deflected into the arms of Joe Burnett who took it back 107 yards for the touchdown that would prove to be the nail in the coffin for the Lions. With the way Andrew Harris was playing it was surprising to see the Lions pass on first and goal. Not only that, but they emptied the back field telegraphing a pass play and Lulay was hurried on the play. That’s the way it has been the last two of games; one mistake, game over.

The Mitchell Play

I didn’t see this during the game, so I had to watch it on the PVR. I just don’t see this intent to injure other are seeing. What I am seeing is Rottier having a hold on Mitchell, to the point where it actually looks as though his hand is caught in Mitchell’s pads. To me it looks like Mitchell was just trying to break free of the hold. I’ll call a spade a spade if it’s warranted, but that’s what it looked like to me. Mitchell is an emotional player, and I’ve often wondered if we would see him lose his cool at some point. He may be getting a little frustrated with all the double teams he’s seeing, but I really don’t think there was any “intent” to injure Rottier.

I’m all for player social media use, but it may be a little inappropriate that Eskimos offensive lineman Greg Wojt tweeted at halftime: “Annoyed at the play, that was bush league by Khalif Mitchell. Intentionally trying to injure a player #NoClass.”

On to a tough game in Calgary next week, and as Coach Benevides is fond of saying this Lions team has lots of work to do.

Get ready to get your orange on! Lions set to launch their new jerseys with their fans.

April 30, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

The BC Lions are set to launch their newly engineered Reebok jerseys on Wednesday, May 2nd at BC Place and a fan will be chosen to unveil the newest look in the team’s history.

In a great social media move, the Lions ran a contest on Twitter in which one lucky follower will be chosen to unveil the new jersey along with a few high profile BC Lions. Travis Lulay, Geroy Simon, Paul McCallum and Khalif Mitchell will be on hand to model the new threads.

The event will also be open to fans, who are invited to attend at Gate A off of Terry Fox Plaza at 8:00am sharp. The new jersey will also be available for purchase and the Lions players on hand will be signing autographs.

Jerseys will remain on sale at Gate A until 6:00pm on Wednesday and then will be available at the team store in Surrey until May 9th, as well as the online store at BCLions.com.

Not much is known about the new look but information reported so far indicate they won’t look too different from the current edition. Reebok and the league are marketing the jerseys as “re-engineered.” Both player and fan versions will see modifications.

“The on-field jerseys were developed to improve the player experience, while the new (fan) jerseys will bring the fans closer to the game,” said Stewart Clark, marketing director for Reebok Canada. “After a two year process and a close collaboration with the CFL and its teams, Reebok is proud to introduce the new re-engineered jersey.”

The CFL signed a five year agreement with Reebok in 2008. The company was recently replaced in the NFL by Nike, who signed a 5-year $35 million dollar deal with the league to be it’s official apparel supplier. Reebok had held the contract for the last decade.

If you find yourself out in the valley, don’t forget to check out our friend Rick at Sports & Stuff in Chilliwack who will have a large stock of jerseys as well when the become available. Rick has the best selection of Lions and CFL merchandise around.

Best of BC Awards: Last chance to vote for Andrew Harris or Paul McCallum!

February 26, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

The final 24 hours of voting for the Best of BC is now and BC Lions Andrew Harris and Paul McCallum are both nominated. The winner of the Best of BC award, which is determined through an online public vote, will be recognized at Sport BC’s 46th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards on Thursday, March 8, 2012. Voting is open to the public until February 27.

Best of luck to both Andrew and Paul!

The results of the poll are kept private, but your vote will be counted.