 Earl McCullouch c. 1968 | |||||||||
| No. 25 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | (1946-01-10)January 10, 1946 (age 79) Clarksville, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Long Beach Polytechnic (Long Beach, California) | ||||||||
| College: | USC | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1968: 1st round, 24th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'strack and field | ||
Representingthe United States | ||
| Pan American Games | ||
 | 1967 Winnipeg | 110 m hurdles |
| 1967 Winnipeg | 4×100 m relay |
Earl R. McCullouch (born January 10, 1946) is a retiredAmerican footballwide receiver. McCullouch was the world record holder for the 110 meter men'shigh hurdle sprint from July 1967 to July 1969. When attending theUniversity of Southern California, McCullouch was a member of the USC Trojan Football teams (wide receiver) and the USC Track & Field teams (120 yard high hurdles and 4×110 sprint relay) in 1967 and 1968. The USC Track 4×110 yard relay team, for which McCullouch ran the start leg, set the world record in 1967 that remains today, as the metric 4 × 100 m relay is now the commonly contested event.
McCullouch was born on January 10, 1946, inClarksville, Texas. His family moved toBakersfield, California, and then toLong Beach, where he attended Franklin Junior High School.[1][2] McCullouch attendedLong Beach Polytechnic High School (Poly). He tied the national high school record (held by Don Castronovo fromOceanside High School inOceanside, New York, and Steve Caminiti fromCrespi Carmelite High School inEncino, California) in the 180 yard low hurdles at 18.1. The record was never broken and the event was discontinued in regular high school competition in 1974.[3]
He swept both the 120 yard high hurdles and the 180 low hurdles at theCIF California State Meet in 1964 (defeating Caminiti).[4] He also tied the U.S. high school record for the 120-yard high hurdles, and had 49 consecutive victories in that season's high and low hurdles.[5] He playedsafety for Poly's football team.[2]
In 1964, McCullouch was named Co-Athlete of the Year in theCalifornia Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section by theHelms Athletic Foundation.[6][5] He earned the award in conjunction with pole vaulterPaul Wilson.[6]
Next he attended community college and played football atLong Beach City College, playing safety. McCullouch helped lead the undefeated (11–0)1964 Long Beach Vikings football team to the junior college national championship, and a victory in theJunior Rose Bowl.[2] He later transferred to theUniversity of Southern California (USC), where he playedcollege football under coachJohn McKay, who switched McCullouch to wide receiver.[2]
McCullouch was part of USC's1967 National Championship team.[7][2] He had 28receptions for 517 yards (18.5 yards per reception), and fivetouchdowns; along with fourrushing attempts for 76 yards.[8] He was one of fiveUSC Trojans players taken in the first round of the1968 NFL/AFL draft after his senior year ( along withRon Yary/1st, Mike Taylor/10th,Tim Rossovich/14th,Mike Hull/16th).[9] On January 1, 1968, the Trojans defeatedIndiana University in the1968 Rose Bowl, 14–3.[10]
McCullouch was known for having elite sprinter speed and used it on both the track and the football field. Wearing No. 22 during the 1966 and 1967 seasons, McCulloch played wide receiver on an offensive USC Trojan Football squad that featured tailbackO. J. Simpson.[11] Defensive coverages had difficulty covering McCullouch in pass routes and chasing him after pass completions due to his sprinter's speed. McCullouch also provided down-field blocking on break-away plays, often for 1968Heisman Trophy winner Simpson.
As a member of the USC Track & Field team, McCulloch was the NCAA 120 Yard High Hurdle champion in 1967[7][12] and 1968,[13] theNCAA 60 yard indoor high hurdle champion in 1968,[14][15] and was the lead leg sprinter of the USC NCAA 4×110 yard sprint relay team in 1967 and 1968 (the team also featured Simpson and future Olympian sprinterLennox Miller).[7][13] In the 1967 high hurdles, he defeated the favoredRichmond Flowers, another future NFL player.[7][16] The USC Trojan sprint relay team (McCulloch, Fred Kuller, Simpson, andLennox Miller – in order) set a 4×110 yard sprint relay world record (38.6 sec.) in the 1967NCAA Track & Field Championships inProvo, Utah on June 17, 1967.[7] In the era of metric-distance sprint world records, this world record still stands today and is likely not to be broken.[2]
McCullough was on the cover of the April 1968 issue ofTrack and Field News.[17]
He played in the 1968College All Star Game against theGreen Bay Packers, catching two touchdown passes from future Lions teammateGreg Landry.[18][19] The Packers’ future Hall of Fame defensive backHerb Adderly thought McCullouch was the fastest receiver for 20 yards.[19][20]
His nickname at USC was "the Pearl".[21]
McCullouch was drafted by theDetroit Lions as theirsecond pick of the first round (24th overall), having drafted Landry with the 11th pick, on January 30, 1968.[9][22]
As the world record holder andNational Champion in the hurdles, McCullouch was a favorite for the Olympic gold medal. In 1968, the Olympic Trials held a Semi-Final event a week after the National Championships at the end of June. There, McCullouch hit several hurdles and finished poorly in 7th place. The finalOlympic Trials andOlympics were scheduled for later in the year, September 13 and mid-to-late October respectively, well into the football season which started on September 15.[23][24][25] McCullouch himself recalled tripping on the seventh hurdle. He still could have competed for the Olympics in the relays, and there was some thought he still might be placed on the team for the hurdles, but he did not believe the latter to be fair. He decided not to go to the Olympics, and rather to join the Lions, and did not later regret his decision.[2] In August 1968, he played in the College All Star Game on his way to the NFL, rather than pursuing the Olympics.[19]
And while the Olympics meant glory, there was no money to be made in the amateur days of the Olympics. McCullouch had a tough choice between his two sports.Willie Davenport went on to win both the trials and the Olympics. A year later, Davenport finally beat McCullouch's world record.[citation needed]
By the time the Olympic races rolled around, Detroit had already played 5 official games of theregular season and was about to take the lead in the Central Division.[26] By that time, McCullouch had already amassed 419 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns,[27] including an 80-yard reception, from the Lions' other first round pick Greg Landry, in their first NFL game.[28] In only the sixth game of his rookie season, he scored two touchdowns against the defending champion Packers in the first quarter.[29][30] He finished the season with 680 yards receiving on 40 receptions, plus another 13 in 3 rushing attempts, 5 touchdowns and a 16.1-yard per touch average (in 43 touches) and was named theNFL Rookie of the Year in 1968.[1][31]
During his first three years with the Lions, he had surgery on each foot and a surgery to remove bone chips from a knee, and he never regained his full speed.[2] His 40 catches and 680 yards as a rookie would be career highs.[1] He played five more years with the Lions (1969-73), with reduced reception numbers (33, 15, 21, 5, 9) and yardage (529, 278, 552, 96, 179).[1] McCullouch finished off his career with a non-productive season with theNew Orleans Saints in 1974, playing in only three games with one reception.[1] After that, he was a player-assistant with thePortland Thunder of theWorld Football League for a short time.[2]
McCullouch met his wife Peggy (Harris) McCullouch in high school, and they were married in 1965. They have five children. He was the personnel director of the short-livedInternational Track Association in the mid 1970s. He was an assistant track coach for six years atLong Beach Community College. He worked atMcDonnell-Douglas andFedEx, from where he retired.[2]
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 110m Hurdles World Record Holder July 16, 1967 — July 4, 1969 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Men's 110m Hurdles Best Year Performance 1967 | Succeeded by |
