McCullough keeping the position warm for Rey Williams

Roughriders' Mike McCullough.
Photograph by: Don Healy, Leader-Post

REGINA — When Mike McCullough reclaimed the starting job as the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ middle linebacker in mid-August, he said it’d be just like riding a bike — and then jokingly suggested he’s not a very good cyclist.

Three weeks later, he’s still pedalling for all he’s worth.

“It’s tough to replace Rey (Williams, who has a knee injury) because he’s a phenomenal athlete, but I think I’ve done a good job,” McCullough, 29, said after Thursday’s practice at Mosaic Stadium. “I’m not the athlete Rey is, but my experience helps a lot. I can be in position and not expend as much energy.

“The defence was playing well before I came and they’re still playing well. Basically, I’ve just tried to jump in and keep them on the same path.”

McCullough, who’s in his seventh CFL season, made his first career start as the Roughriders’ middle linebacker in the 2005 season. He started 13 games in ’06 and two in ’07 before becoming a backup and special-teamer.

After Williams was injured in Saskatchewan’s 35-20 loss to the B.C. Lions on Aug. 7, McCullough was tapped to take over as the starter with rookie Jerrell Freeman as his backup. McCullough had three tackles in each of the Roughriders’ two games since then and is to start again Sunday against the visiting Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“He’s done very well,” defensive co-ordinator Gary Etcheverry said. “He brings a great cerebral component and he does some other things very well, too.

“He has good instincts, he’s very shrewd and sharp. If you catch him and fool him in a game — which can happen to the best of them — it’s difficult to fool him twice.”

“I’ve started against all the teams, so I know the personnel and the offences,” noted McCullough. “When you’re a younger player, you can start running around like a caged animal. Now I’m a little more patient, a little more calm, and so I can see things materialize and hopefully can make the play.”

Despite his attributes, McCullough is under no illusions about the future. While he feels like a starter again, he also feels like he’s holding the job only until Williams returns.

“It’d be different if Rey wasn’t getting the job done, but he was doing a really good job,” McCullough said. “I lost my job to injury three years ago and I don’t expect Rey to have that happen to him now. I’d be a bit of a hypocrite if I said that was OK. I love being in there, but I know I’m just keeping it warm for Rey.”

Giving up a spot is not the easiest thing for some players to accept. McCullough, however, said he’s beyond that and is just grateful for the chance he has had over the past three weeks.
“The fact that I’m even in there shows that the coaches and the guys have faith in me,” he said. “No matter how good you are, there’s always somebody better.

“Not to say that I think Rey’s better than me, but he’s doing a very good job and I’d have to disagree if someone said I belonged in there over him, just because of the way he’s played.
“If, when he comes back, they decide to have us go head to head and figure it out, maybe. But I really feel that Rey should be installed back in and let him continue what he started.”

NOTES: The status for Sunday’s game of slotback Andy Fantuz — who missed the past four games with a hamstring injury — should be decided Friday. “He didn’t practise all out (Thursday) — as a matter of fact, he was very limited — but he’s going to try to go all out (today) and after that we’ll make a decision,” said head coach Ken Miller . . . It’s unknown who will play left guard Sunday. Gene Makowsky likely will move to left tackle to replace Bobby Harris (knee), so Chris Best and Antonio Hall have been rotating at guard. “We don’t know how that’s going to work out right now,” Miller said. “We’re still making a decision on Antonio to see if he’s ready to go or not.”

ihamilton@leaderpost.canwest.com