Paul McCallum is, without question, a Legendary Kicker in Canadian Football.
McCallum is widely recognized as one of the most prolific and accurate kickers of his generation. Before his celebrated football career, McCallum was an accomplished youth soccer player, representing British Columbia at the Canada Summer Games and even playing in a preseason tournament with the Vancouver 86ers. His talent took him overseas, where he played professionally in Scotland at the age of 19.
Upon returning to Canada, the Vancouver native shifted his focus to football, joining the Surrey Rams of the British Columbia Junior Football Conference (BCJFC). This decision marked the beginning of an impressive 24-year professional football career, during which he played for 26 seasons.
McCallum’s professional football journey included stints with several teams, including the CFL’s Ottawa Rough Riders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and BC Lions. He also made his mark in other leagues, playing for the XFL’s Las Vegas Outlaws, where he scored the first points in the league’s history, and the Scottish Claymores, with whom he won the World Bowl in 1996.
The majority of McCallum’s CFL success came during his time with his hometown team, the BC Lions. He was part of the Lions’ 1994 Grey Cup championship team, but his most notable achievements came during his second stint with the Lions from 2006 to 2014. During this period, he earned five CFL West All-Star nods, two CFL All-Star selections (2010, 2011), and won two more Grey Cup championships in 2006 and 2011. McCallum was awarded the Grey Cup Most Valuable Canadian in 2006 and the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Award in 2011.
McCallum’s legacy is cemented by several records and accolades. He holds the CFL record for the longest field goal (63 yards) set in 2001, ranks second for the most field goals and scoring in CFL history, and holds the record for the longest kickoff in BC Lions history (100 yards) set in 1994. He also shares the Grey Cup record for the most field goals in a game (6) achieved in 2006.
In recognition of his remarkable career, Paul McCallum was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
