The 2025 football season has brought changes for Atoka senior Wade McCall. It starts with a new coach in Luke Ring who brings in a new offense and a new position for McCall. Wade has moved from tight end to running back with the new spread offense of Ring’s and it’s really to his liking. “I really like running back more because I feel like I can have more of an impact on the game at that position. Learning the new footwork between tight end and running back was an issue at first but we’ve got it figured out. Up until this year I’ve always liked playing defense best but the move to running back has changed that,” said Wade. And for his part, coach Ring is appreciative of McCall’s unselfish attitude. “The things he does for this team are invaluable and he’s become my voice in the locker room. He’s a warrior and the kind of player every coach wants to have on his team,” said Ring. Wade didn’t start taking football seriously until he got into high school after watching his brother play while growing up. “My brother Andrew, who now plays at Harding University, played all through school and I enjoyed watching him. I played a little bit in middle school but wasn’t all that serious until he took me with him on a couple of college recruiting visits and that got me interested,” said McCall who is also involved in track where he runs the 4X400 relay and the 200-meter dash, student council and ‘Cats for Christ. “I enjoy watching Cam Skattebo with the New York Giants because he’s a very physical, downhill runner and that’s how I want to play.” Wade says he’ll always remember fondly the very first high school game he played. “It was against Ringling in our season opener my sophomore year and I had 21 tackles.” As a senior leader this year, Wade sees his job as one of bringing the team together while avoiding drama. In his spare time, Wade enjoys playing the drums and says after he graduates, he’d like to be remembered as someone who didn’t lead just by his voice but by example.
Photo credit: Treasured Memories by Stephanie
