Mike McCullough (born March 17, 1980) is a former

Canadian football Canadian football () is a team sport, sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's sco ...

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

who played ten seasons for the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

(CFL). McCullough was drafted by the Roughriders in the third round of the 2003 CFL Draft, after playing his

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

St. Francis Xavier University St. Francis Xavier University is a public undergraduate liberal arts university located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a member of the Maple League, a group of primarily undergraduate universities in Eastern Canada. History St. Franc ...

University football

McCullough played four seasons for the St. Francis Xavier University X-Men in the

Atlantic University Sport Atlantic University Sport (AUS; french: Sport universitaire de l'Atlantique) is a regional membership association for universities in Atlantic Canada which assists in co-ordinating competition between their university level athletic programs and pr ...

Conference. In his senior season, McCullough was named to the conference's defensive all-star team as well as being named an academic all-star.

Professional football

After his university career, McCullough was drafted by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2003 CFL Draft. He has been a key contributor on

special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...

, leading the Roughriders in special teams tackles during his rookie season. While with the Roughriders, McCullough has been the recipient of numerous awards for community service, including the club's Mosaic Community Service Award in 2008 and 2009. McCullough was the team's nominee for the

Tom Pate Memorial Award Tom Pate Memorial Award, selected annually by the Canadian Football League Players' Association, is awarded to a player with outstanding sportsmanship and someone who has made a significant contribution to his team, his community and Association. T ...

in 2009 and 2010, presented by the CFL Player's Association for community service. After the

2010 CFL season The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern-day Canadian football. Officially, it is the 53rd Canadian Football League season. Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton hosted the 98th Grey Cup on November 28 when the Montreal Alouettes became the f ...

, McCullough was awarded the

Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Trophy The Jake Gaudaur Veterans' Trophy is presented annually to the Canadian Football League (CFL) player " who best demonstrates the attributes of Canada's veterans in times of war, peace and military conflict." The award was first presented in 2010, a ...

, for being judged as the CFL Player who "best demonstrates the attributes of Canada's veterans in times of war, peace and military conflict." McCullough would have been a free agent in February 2011 after the 2010 season, but signed a new contract with the team on December 22, 2010. McCullough eventually went on to win the

101st Grey Cup The 101st Grey Cup was a Canadian football game played between the East Division champion Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the West Division champion Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League to decide the Grey Cup champions of the 2013 ...

with Saskatchewan in 2013. On May 30, 2014, after ten seasons playing in the CFL, McCullough announced retirement.

Personal life

McCullough is married, and lives in Regina year-round with his wife Laura and his 4 kids,Joe,Wes,Will and his only daughter, Claire McCullough. He devotes a considerable amount of time to charities, with much of time directed to Jesse's Journey, a foundation that funds research into

Duchenne muscular dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe type of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects boys. Muscle weakness usually begins around the age of four, and worsens quickly. Muscle loss typically occurs first in the thighs and pelvis fol ...

(DMD). His son Cole, who suffered from DMD and epilepsy, died in February 2009 after suffering a seizure in his sleep. McCullough has also devoted time to the Chris Knox Foundation in Regina, after befriending Knox, a young man battling cancer, in the leadup to the Roughriders win in the

2007 Grey Cup The 95th Grey Cup was held in Toronto at the Rogers Centre on November 25, 2007. The Grey Cup, first awarded in 1909, is the championship game of the Canadian Football League. It was played between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnip ...

. McCullough was featured on pennants sold by the charity during the 2010 season as a fundraiser.

References

External links

Saskatchewan Roughriders bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:McCullough, Mike 1980 births Living people Canadian football linebackers Sportspeople from Kingston, Ontario Players of Canadian football from Ontario St. Francis Xavier X-Men football players Saskatchewan Roughriders players