McCallum has been granted a release from the B.C. Lions, who asked the kicker to retire five days into their training camp.
In fact, the president of Canada Soccer and chair of the tournament's organizing committee thinks the event, set to begin Saturday in Edmonton, comes at just the right time.
Five years after committing to play for Jeff Tedford at the University of California, his old head coach was again trying to convince the running back to get on board.
Sure he was named the CFL's outstanding player in 2014 — a first for a full-time defender — but the B.C. Lions had an otherwise disappointing campaign, stumbling to a 9-9 regular-season before an embarrassing playoff loss.
Vancouver was put into a group with Major League Soccer rival Seattle Sounders and Honduras's Club Olimpia on Monday at the CCL draw.
Following a four-year career at Howard University, the 22-year-old quarterback was training in hopes of getting a shot in the NFL.