TORONTO – For three seasons, Evan McCollough was a mainstay in the Argonauts’ infamous hard-hitting, ball-hawking secondary. The Glenarden, Maryland native mystified opposing wide receivers with his relentless pursuit of the football and aggressive playing style. As a rookie (2010), McCollough started in 16 regular season games for the Double Blue, amassing 70 total tackles (65 DT, 5 STT), while recovering two fumbles and registering one interception. Unfortunately, his stellar rookie campaign ended in heartbreak as the Argonauts were defeated in the Eastern Final by the eventual Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes.
McCollough’s charismatic personality blossomed under the tutelage of then head coach and current Argonauts general manager Jim Barker. Despite the Boatmen’s on-field struggles in 2011, McCollough enjoyed a productive sophomore season as he made 15 starts, tallying a career-best two interceptions and recording his first-career CFL touchdown.
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In the final year of his contract (2012), McCollough anchored an Argonauts secondary that registered the second-most interceptions in the CFL (24). The James Madison University product totalled 53 defensive tackles, two special teams tackles, two forced fumbles, six pass knockdowns and two interceptions en route to capturing his first-career Grey Cup title.
However, as is typical in the realm of professional sports, with any ounce of success comes some form of adversity. For McCollough, the five-foot-11, 196-pound defensive back found himself in an uncomfortable position following the 2012 season. After failing to reach an agreement with the Argonauts, McCollough elected to test the free agent market, ultimately striking a deal with the Boatmen’s provincial rivals, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
McCollough’s tenure with the Tabbies, albeit a brief one, included a Grey Cup appearance last November against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium. McCollough subsequently participated in the Tiger-Cats’ 2014 training camp, but was released prior to the beginning of the regular season.
An emotionally dejected McCollough returned home to his family and began patiently waiting for a new opportunity to present itself. Nearly two years removed from his regretful free agency experiment, McCollough finds himself back in a Double Blue uniform, hoping to make amends for his abrupt departure following the 2012 season.
“It’s football and at times contract negotiations can be difficult to endure” said McCollough. “Ultimately, I decided to make the move to Hamilton. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out there, so I’m just glad that I received the call to return to where it all began.”
From a football standpoint, McCollough is a versatile, savvy veteran who possesses experience playing in high-pressure situations. His presence in the secondary, along with newcomer Alex Suber, provides the Double Blue with some much-needed depth and veteran leadership on the back-end.
Mentally, McCollough continues to make strides in the film room and says he has been receiving tremendous support and guidance from the Argonauts’ defensive coaching staff.
“Coach Tim Burke called me into his office right when I arrived here and showed me the basics of the defence,” commented McCollough following Wednesday’s practice. “After watching film, a lot of things were coming together for me.”
During their brief encounter, Burke also emphasized the significance of communication. In order for the Argos’ high-flying, fast-paced defence to execute at optimal levels of productivity, everyone must be constantly communicating with one another.
McCollough has made it a personal priority to familiarize himself with his teammates’ playing styles. In doing so, he is able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of everyone’s game, while ultimately broadening his skill set.
“Right now, I’m learning the system and getting the playbook down packed,” stated McCollough. “I’m trying to communicate as much as possible with the guys on the field in order to learn their playing styles. They’ve been playing for 10 weeks so I’m just trying to fit in and help bring some veteran leadership to this team.”
The City of Toronto has always had a special place in McCollough’s heart. In many ways, Toronto has become a home away from home for the Argos’ modest 27-year-old international veteran. General manager Jim Barker has advocated for McCollough on several occasions and genuinely admires his competitive desire.
McCollough looked sharp during practice this week, prompting head coach Scott Milanovich to activate him from the team’s practice roster and thus making him eligible to play in Saturday’s game against the Calgary Stampeders.
Aside from the immediate task at hand, which comes in the form of a talented 9-1 Stampeders squad, McCollough is simply grateful to be back on the gridiron playing the game he loves. In speaking with reporters earlier this week, McCollough made it a point of emphasis to express his gratitude and appreciation towards the Argonauts organization.
“I started here in 2010. I played three years here and won a Grey Cup,” began McCollough. “The business of football is difficult to deal with. I’m just happy that the organization still feels that they want me here, regardless of what happened when I decided to leave and go to Hamilton. I’ve played five years in this league and four have been with the Argonauts,” he added. “Above all, I’m happy to be back playing in the CFL and playing for a team that I started with in a place that you could really call home.”