B.C. Lions: Ryan Phillips agrees to extension, Paul McCallum returns in 2015

Ryan Phillips and Paul McCallum
Ryan Phillips and Paul McCallum

THE BC Lions Football Club announced Monday that defensive back Ryan Phillips has agreed to a contract extension through the 2016 season and kicker Paul McCallum will return for 2015.

“Both Paul and Ryan remain integral parts of our team as they continue to perform at a high level on the field and play a vital role as respected leaders in the dressing room,” said VP of football operations and GM Wally Buono.

Phillips enters his 11th CFL season and has made 180 consecutive appearances for the club since signing as a free agent in 2005. The Seattle native and four-time CFL All-Star notched a team-high three interceptions last year along with 39 defensive tackles. Ryan’s incredible run of consecutive games is the longest among all active CFL players and his 40 career interceptions place him second in club history behind the great Larry Crawford.

Only the second player in the history of professional football to reach the 3,000-point plateau, kicker Paul McCallum prepares for his 23rd CFL campaign and his 12th as a Lion in 2015. Earning his sixth nod as a West Division All-Star, Paul was good on 38 of 42 field goal attempts in 2014 for a CFL-best 90.5% success rate.

His remarkable career has seen the 45 year-old McCallum appear in 325 regular season games, 151 as a Lion, and establish a success rate of 80.6% on field goals, tops among all kickers with at least 400 attempts along with 18 seasons with 100 or more points.