Robert McCune
Encyclopedia
Robert McCune is an American football
linebacker
who is currently playing for the Calgary Stampeders
of the Canadian Football League
. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins
in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Louisville
.
McCune has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins
, Baltimore Ravens
and the Cleveland Browns
.
in Mobile, Alabama, playing football for coach Ray Parker. He was a two-year letter-winner on the gridiron and four year letter-winner in track
. He finished third at the state meet in the 100-meter dash and second in the 4x100-meter relay, and also won back-to-back state powerlifting titles as a junior and senior for LeFlore's Powerlifting Team
- a component of the United States Army
- where he spent six months stationed in Korea
and six months in Kuwait
.
In 2002, McCune played in every game, taking over middle linebacker duties in the final two contests against Houston
and Marshall
when starter Rod Day was injured. McCune recorded 48 tackles (20 solos) with 1.5 stops for losses of 4 yards and a quarterback pressure on the year.
McCune earned third-team All-Conference USA
honors in 2003. He started every game at middle linebacker, leading the team and ranked seventh in the conference with a career-high 143 tackles (83 solos). He had four sacks for -11 yards and five stops for losses of 12 yards. He intercepted a pass and deflected five others.
McCune was an All-Conference USA first-team selection after starting every game at middle linebacker as a senior in 2004. He led the team for the second-straight year with 115 tackles (57 solos), including two sacks for -16 yards and four stops for losses of 20 yards. He returned an interception seven yards and deflected four passes.
Following the season, McCune impressed professional scouts by making big hits and showing aggressive play during Senior Bowl
week.
He graduated with a degree in education.
in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
. He spent the majority of his rookie season on the Redskins' practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on November 6, 2005. He played in five games and two playoff games, logging seven special teams tackles. He made his professional debut in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles
, and led the team in special teams tackles with three in a Week 10 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
McCune struggled during training camp with the Redskins in 2006, with then-linebackers coach Dale Lindsey
saying his development was "not where we want it to be." McCune was once again waived prior to the regular season in 2006 and rejoined the Redskins' practice squad. He remained there until December 12, when he was signed to the active roster of the Miami Dolphins.
, who was waived the following day. McCune was inactive for the final three games of the season.
McCune was waived by the Dolphins following the 2007 preseason.
signed McCune to their practice squad. He was later promoted to the active roster, recording four tackles in two games.
On April 7, 2008 McCune was re-signed as an exclusive-rights free agent. He was released during final cuts on August 30. The Ravens re-signed McCune on November 11 only to release him on November 20. The Ravens re-signed McCune on December 31 when wide receiver
Marcus Maxwell
was placed on injured reserve
.
He was non-tendered on March 14, 2009, and became a free agent
.
on August 20, 2009. He was waived on August 31.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who is currently playing for the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Louisville
Louisville Cardinals football
The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship...
.
McCune has also been a member of the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Early years
McCune attended LeFlore High SchoolLeFlore Magnet High School
John L. LeFlore Magnet High School of Advanced Communication and Fine Arts is a public high school in Mobile, Alabama, United States, enrolling 1400 students in grades 9-12. LeFlore Magnet High School offers academic and artistic programs while being accredited by the Southern Association of...
in Mobile, Alabama, playing football for coach Ray Parker. He was a two-year letter-winner on the gridiron and four year letter-winner in track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. He finished third at the state meet in the 100-meter dash and second in the 4x100-meter relay, and also won back-to-back state powerlifting titles as a junior and senior for LeFlore's Powerlifting Team
Military service
After high school, McCune served three years in the United States National GuardUnited States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
- a component of the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- where he spent six months stationed in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
and six months in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
.
College career
After being redshirted at Louisville in 2000, McCune was named Special Teams Player of the Year in 2001 as a key member of the kick coverage units. He logged 14 tackles (nine solo) while playing in all thirteen games on special teams and as a reserve linebacker.In 2002, McCune played in every game, taking over middle linebacker duties in the final two contests against Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
and Marshall
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
when starter Rod Day was injured. McCune recorded 48 tackles (20 solos) with 1.5 stops for losses of 4 yards and a quarterback pressure on the year.
McCune earned third-team All-Conference USA
Conference USA
Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...
honors in 2003. He started every game at middle linebacker, leading the team and ranked seventh in the conference with a career-high 143 tackles (83 solos). He had four sacks for -11 yards and five stops for losses of 12 yards. He intercepted a pass and deflected five others.
McCune was an All-Conference USA first-team selection after starting every game at middle linebacker as a senior in 2004. He led the team for the second-straight year with 115 tackles (57 solos), including two sacks for -16 yards and four stops for losses of 20 yards. He returned an interception seven yards and deflected four passes.
Following the season, McCune impressed professional scouts by making big hits and showing aggressive play during Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
week.
He graduated with a degree in education.
Washington Redskins
McCune was originally drafted by the Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
in the fifth round (154th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. He spent the majority of his rookie season on the Redskins' practice squad before being promoted to the active roster on November 6, 2005. He played in five games and two playoff games, logging seven special teams tackles. He made his professional debut in Week 9 against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and led the team in special teams tackles with three in a Week 10 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
McCune struggled during training camp with the Redskins in 2006, with then-linebackers coach Dale Lindsey
Dale Lindsey
Phillip Dale Lindsey is a former American football linebacker and coach in the National Football League. He also spent time as a coach in the Canadian Football League and the United States Football League...
saying his development was "not where we want it to be." McCune was once again waived prior to the regular season in 2006 and rejoined the Redskins' practice squad. He remained there until December 12, when he was signed to the active roster of the Miami Dolphins.
Miami Dolphins
In Miami, McCune replaced veteran linebacker Keith NewmanKeith Newman
Keith Anthony Newman is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted out of the University of North Carolina in the fourth round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills....
, who was waived the following day. McCune was inactive for the final three games of the season.
McCune was waived by the Dolphins following the 2007 preseason.
Baltimore Ravens
On November 14, 2007, the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
signed McCune to their practice squad. He was later promoted to the active roster, recording four tackles in two games.
On April 7, 2008 McCune was re-signed as an exclusive-rights free agent. He was released during final cuts on August 30. The Ravens re-signed McCune on November 11 only to release him on November 20. The Ravens re-signed McCune on December 31 when wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marcus Maxwell
Marcus Maxwell
Marcus James Maxwell is an American football wide receiver for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
.
He was non-tendered on March 14, 2009, and became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
.
Cleveland Browns
McCune signed with the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 20, 2009. He was waived on August 31.