Corey McCullough was not surprised at all when he and 13 of his Alcorn State University teammates were named to the Southwestern Athletic Conference Preseason All-Conference Football Team earlier this month.
“We really have more than 14 that deserve to be on the list,” said McCullough, a 2016 graduate of Louisville High School and a member of LHS’ 2013 State Championship football team. “We expect more out of ourselves this year.”
Last year Alcorn, which has played for the SWAC Championship each of McCullough’s first three seasons at ASU, won the title game, but fell short in a Celebration Bowl contest in Atlanta. This year the Braves are once again predicted to win the SWAC title.
Not only was McCullough named first-team preseason All-SWAC as a place-kicker, he was chosen as the second team punter.
“I see it as a nomination more than anything else,” he said “That means that’s where they expect you to be at the end of the year.”
Where McCullough is, is certainly high ground, as he he is tied at the top of the school’s place-kicking record books alongside the legendary Wilfredo Rosales.
After limited action as a freshman where he didn’t kick a field goal, but was good on eight of his nine extra point attempts, he has made 17 field goals each of the last two seasons — each of which is a single season record.
If McCullough connects on a field goal in the Braves season-opener at the University of Southern Mississippi on Saturday, Aug. 31, he will be alone at the to of the ASU record book.
“It really makes me feel good,” McCullough said. “It’s an honor to the have the opportunity to be on the top of the list. My Mom and my family talked about it, about wanting to go down there and put myself at the top of those lists.”
Corey is the son of Todd and Angela McCullough. He has a sister Erin and a brother Kirby.
In his soon to be four years on “The Reservation” as Alcorn State is referred to by the ASU faithful, he has grown from the young inexperienced kicker to the veteran, who not only is accurate on his place picks, but can control the game with his punting and kick offs.
“I have learned so much,” he said. “I really wish I could have redshirted in some ways. An extra year would help. You think you know so much, but the game is so different on this level.”
He says every year young guys come into (ASU) camp trying to see how far they can kick and don’t yet realize that it is accuracy and consistency that matters.
That’s something McCullough has acquired. He booted a 49-yard field goal against Florida International University as a sophomore and was 17-of-23 on field goal attempts that year and 17-of-25 last season.
“The main thing is consistency,” he said. “You really don’t want to change anything about your form not matter the distance. You treat all kicks the same.”
He punted 54 times for an average of 42.48 yards a a sophomore and 67 times for a 40.36 average last year. Over those two years he has had 27 punts travel 50 or more yards and has pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line an impressive 42 times.
As to which he gets the bigger thrill out of, McCullough has a quick reply. “I would prefer to do both at the same time,” he said. “But what I need to do at the time is what is most important.”
He knocked through a trio of field goals in the Braves 24-22 loss to North Carolina A&T in the Air Force reserve Celebration Bowl at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Dec. 15, that matches the SWAC champion against the MEAC Champion.
“We still have some unfinished business there,” McCullough said.
