McCullough II Embraces ‘Eye-Opening’ Return To Indiana

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Nostalgia is part of the Indiana deal. How could it not be? For basically six years, Deland McCullough II was very much involved with Cream & Crimson football. He was the teenage son of the Hoosiers running backs coach and every win and loss had family consequences.

Now, five years later, as a transfer from Miami (Ohio), the observer has morphed into a participant. He's working out at the same Memorial Stadium facilities he once used, but now it carries an IU purpose rather than an individual one.

"It's eye opening," McCullough says via recent Zoom opportunity. "I know when I'm working out, I remember when I was in here at 13 years old working out.

"It's been a long road. I like what's going on so far. I can't wait for this thing to get moving."

Opportunity came last February when the elder McCullough returned to the Hoosiers as the associate head coach and running backs coach, although no one knew it at first.

"When my dad got the job here, it didn't cross my mind," McCullough says.

For good reason. The younger McCullough, a defensive back, was getting ready for spring practice at Miami.

And then, well, everything changed.

"It was something that kind of happened," he says about transferring to Indiana. "Due to other circumstances, I decided it was something I wanted to do. With further conversations with my dad and the coaches here after I entered the portal, they made it happen."

Playing for his father isn't in McCullough II's future. He has always been a defensive player while his father has always coached offense.

Still, a line will be drawn between father and son, and coach and player.

"It's exciting to have my dad right around the corner," the younger McCullough says. "I expect him, when we're in (Memorial Stadium), to be more of a coach than a dad. That's what I expect.

"It will be a great experience. Not a lot of people can say their dad is a coach at this level."

McCullough has the skill set to play cornerback and safety, but he says he'll be a safety for the Hoosiers.

"That's what they have planned for me," he says. "I'm happy."

With veterans Devon Matthews and Raheem Layne topping the safety depth chart, McCullough isn't guaranteed playing time. He only played in three games during his two seasons at Miami.

But this was never about guarantees. It was about opportunity and a chance to play not just at the Big Ten level, but for a Big Ten contender.

"It's exciting," McCullough says. "I've always dreamed of playing on a big stage. This is something that I'm hoping I can take full advantage of and show everybody what I can do."

Because of his father's job changes (the elder McCullough went from coaching running backs at Indiana, then at USC, and then for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs), the son played at three high schools -- Bloomington High School North for two years, then at Junipero Serra in California (he totaled 66 tackles and 15 pass breakups as a junior), and finally at Blue Valley North in Kansas (the team reached the state title game; McCullough missed most of the season with an injury).

McCullough says he dreamed of playing at IU when he lived in Bloomington.

"I fell in love with it -- IU football, the atmosphere. It became a reality within the last couple of months."

As a three-star prospect coming out of high school, the Hoosiers didn't offer McCullough a scholarship. Multiple Mid-American Conference programs did, and he settled on Miami, where his father was once a dominating running back.

Now, he's settling into life as a Hoosier in head coach Tom Allen's Love Each Other program. He says he got to know some of the safeties before arriving on campus, and is "starting to really connect with them" now.

He's hoping to help a defense that led the Big Ten in interceptions last season. With plenty of returning talent on both sides of the ball, the Hoosiers seem poised to make another strong run at a Big Ten East title.

Last year they were 6-1 in conference play, one game behind Ohio State.

"It's exciting to be back," McCullough says. "I'm back home. It's been a great experience so far."

Indiana University Athletics

McCullough II Embraces ‘Eye-Opening’ Return To Indiana

Players Mentioned

Raheem Layne

Devon Matthews

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