SURREY, B.C. - B.C.-born kicker Paul McCallum had no intention of shopping his services.
The Surrey, B.C., native and oldest CFLer at 42 signed a new contract with the Lions, signalling stability in the kicking game as B.C. seeks to defend its Grey Cup title.
"I didn't want to go anywhere else," said McCallum, who doubles as a realtor in the Vancouver area. "This was where I was born and (have) grown up, and my family's here.
"I want to retire here, so (re-signing) just made a lot of sense."
A year after his future with the franchise was precarious, McCallum now holds a lock on the position as he enters his 20th CFL season.
"I'm having fun, I'm still feeling well and I'm feeling strong, so I'm just going to keep on going," said McCallum.
After B.C. traded a much younger Sean Whyte to Montreal, McCallum played a huge role for the team as he booted a record 30 straight field goals and helped the Lions overcome a 1-5 start en route to their unlikely run to the crown.
He also set a new league record for field goal percentage (94.3) while capturing the CFL special teams player of the year award.
"(McCallum) had a great year for us last year," said general manager Wally Buono, who felt the kicker also should have been named top Canadian. "When you look at his consistency over the years, it's not diminishing as he's getting older ... He was a tremendous asset to the football club."
Buono praised McCallum for his strong off-season training regimen and said the kicker's consistency brought a great deal of confidence to the Lions. Now, the question is not how soon McCallum should retire, but rather how long he can keep going.
"Football's a young man's game — unless you're a quarterback or a kicker," said Lions coach Mike Benevides. "So Paul being the oldest player in the league, I think only he can determine (when he retires.) He's been fortunate injury-wise. He takes care of himself. He's kind of that unique freak of nature."
McCallum's signing also gives the Lions more time to develop 22-year-old Hugh O'Neill, who spent all of last season as an understudy to McCallum and is destined for a similar role in 2012.
McCallum has no problem assisting O'Neill if he asks questions, but he does not see himself as a mentor to his possible replacement. Sometimes, said Buono, mentoring just involves a young kicker watching and learning from a veteran.
"My view on developing kickers is like quarterbacks," said Buono. "You've got to get them, you've got to groom them, you've gotta cultivate them, you've gotta test them. And then, eventually, you've gotta put them out there to see if they can handle it, because the pressure is usually the most difficult thing to deal with."
The GM said it is not part of McCallum's job description to tutor O'Neill, but the situation has the potential to help the Lions in the long run.
"Sometimes (kickers) hate each other," said Buono. "Sometimes they love each other. You'd prefer that they love each other."
McCallum's new contract was partially overshadowed by the loss of two important parts of the championship team.
The Lions announced Friday that defensive line coach Randy Melvin has left unexpectedly for an undisclosed new job in the U.S, while offensive lineman Jovan Olafioye signed with the St. Louis Rams of the NFL.
Buono and Benevides have plenty of affection for Melvin, who molded a defensive line that helped the Lions overcome their horrendous start while tormenting opposition quarterbacks. As a result, the GM and new coach had no problem letting Melvin out of a contract the same week the team announced he had signed on for another season.
Melvin stayed just one season with the Lions after joining them from Rutgers University. He has also made college-level stops in Wyoming and Eastern Illinois, toiled in the NFL with Denver, New York, Cleveland and New England where he won a Super Bowl in 2001.
"This is something that just came about within the last, say, 48 hours," said Buono. "Obviously, it is a tremendous opportunity for him."
Buono will leave it up to Benevides to hire a replacement. Benevides indicated the search process has already begun and things could happen quickly.
Olafioye's departure was anticipated after the tackle led a dominant offensive line and earned CFL all-star honours in his third CFL season. The six-foot-six and 325-pound North Carolina Central product had worked out for several recently before opting to sign with the Rams. Although Buono was "sad" to see Olafioye go, he took "a tremendous amount of pride" in helping him achieve his NFL dream.
Nick Hennessy, a 25-year-old Colgate product who signed with the Lions as a free agent in October 2010, has been slotted into Olafioye's starting spot.