Veteran linebacker Mccune released
Sooner or later — and especially at this time of the year — the business side of professional football hits home.
And Saturday, it was the Calgary Stampeders’ linebacking corps getting the bad news that fellow trenchmate Robert McCune had been released.
“It’s tough,” said middle linebacker Juwan Simpson. “You build relationships and friendships with guys, me and him were good friends. But, it’s part of the business that’s unfortunate. It was a decision that was made for the best and we just have to continue on.”
In Friday’s 20-17 pre-season win over the Edmonton Eskimos, the man they call Hammer had a couple crushing tackles, but it was all for naught as age (McCune is 33) and versatility played a role in his dismissal Saturday.
The decision did not come easy to head coach and general manager John Hufnagel.
“Honestly, that was the most difficult one,” he said. “It’s the tough part of the job. But we knew the competition we had and the depth we had at the linebacker position.”
Rookie Deron Mayo showed promise on Friday with two tackles and a sack while veteran Joe Lobendahn recorded a tackle and clogged up the middle. The former starter for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers had his right anterior cruciate ligament repaired for the third time in his career last season. Also in the mix is returning linebacker Malik Jackson.
Simpson is confident that hardworking McCune will land on his feet and find another home in the CFL.
“He was a starter out there, always motivating and intense,” he said. “You need that on your team because not everyone is going to have that intensity. He was always focused and prepared. That’s why I think there’s a future for him in this league.
“I don’t think his playing days are over.”
Last season, McCune, who also plays special teams, won over the middle linebacker position when Simpson was out for five games with a knee injury. In that span, the Stamps won four times.
“He stepped right into the fold,” said defensive back Keon Raymond. “He was a definite impact on the team, with his leadership abilities.”
A graduate of the University of Louisville and 2005 draft pick of the Washington Redskins, the Mobile, Ala., native joined the U.S. army after college. He spent four years in active service, heading to Korea for a year, six months in Kuwait and six months in Afghanistan.
McCune , six-foot, 245-pounds, has one of the most physically imposing builds in the Canadian Football League and works as a trainer, running boot camps on the side. He joined the Stampeders and the CFL in 2010 but also battled his own knee injuries during his tenure.
“It’s the nature of the game, though,” Raymond said. “But I’m pretty sure he’ll land somewhere. You know what? It is. We all know what we sign up for. And this is where you get the opportunity to show what you can do in the preseason.
“Unfortunately, it had to happen to him. We’re kind of deep at linebacker. It’s a win-lose type thing.”
It also served as a reminder that no one is safe.
“You want to be able to leave the game on your own terms, for somebody like him,” Raymond said. “I hate that it happened but I just have to make sure I’m continuing to do my job.”
Also released Sunday were defensive linemen K.C. Asiodu and Renard Williams, defensive backs Tim Clark and Jason Teague, receiver Curtis Walls, and running back Bryson Tucker.
With Tucker’s release, expect the Stamps to bolster their depth at running back.
More cuts come today as the Stamps have to trim their roster to 65, not including their 2012 draft picks.