Football Friday: With community’s help, Upper Darby’s McCullough rises from tragedy

UPPER DARBY >> Life changed in a hurry for Shawn McCullough and his family one morning last March.

Then a junior at Upper Darby, McCullough went on break at his fast-food restaurant job in Broomall when he noticed his phone blowing up. His sister then FaceTimed him in a frantic state.

He had several Snapchat and Instagram messages from friends, sharing the same stunning news. Their home, where Angel and Patrick McCullough had raised four children, including Shawn, was on fire.

Shawn McCullough remembers how the day began. He has a vivid memory, as if it all happened yesterday. It’s one experience he can’t bury in the back of his mind.

“My dad actually dropped me off at work that morning. I had work that day at 6 o’clock in the morning. So we leave every morning around 5:30,” he said. “It was around 10:30-10:45, I went on break and got a call from my sister telling me the house was on fire. She was crying.”

The good news? Nobody was in the house. All of the McCullough family was accounted for. Angel McCullough was lucky to have left the home in the nick of time.

“My mom actually left the house right before it happened. She went to work late that day, for some reason she got called in late,” Shawn said. “A few minutes after that, the house just went into flames. We all came rushing to the house. We just … couldn’t believe it.”

Unfortunately, their house in the Penn Pines section of Upper Darby could not be salvaged. The family’s three pets — a turtle, cat and dog — were not saved.

Firefighters said a faulty furnace leak caused the fire.

“It was around the time the lights went out around here for, like, three days straight. I remember that weekend, it was Friday or Saturday, before everything happened, we had to go stay at my grandma’s house because our lights were out and we had no electricity,” Shawn said. “The furnace had cut off. The firefighters said there was gas throughout the house because the furnace was leaking. When the lights went back on, I guess it was just a matter of time because the furnace was bad.”

Shawn and his family lost all of their possessions. They were able to move into their grandmother’s home for a few months before Shawn’s parents found temporary housing nearby. Repairs to their fire-ravaged home are ongoing as Shawn begins his senior year at Upper Darby.

Shortly after the tragedy, members of the Upper Darby football team came to the McCulloughs’ aid. Coaches and players donated money, gift cards, clothes and other necessities. The outpouring of love and support didn’t come as a surprise to Shawn and his family. Shawn’s friend and teammate, Brendan Sinclair, started a GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly $10,000.

“A lot of coaches provided me gear and supplies from the school. From the football team, a bunch of them have reached out and their families have been sending us money,” Shawn said. “I already knew that this football team is like a brotherhood. Everybody who has donated and helped out on this football team, they’re like family to me. I know I have a lot of supportive people around me.”

Through it all, Shawn was able to focus on school and football. In the summer, he continued to work hours at McDonald’s while never missing practice.

Shawn is a starting wide receiver and defensive back on the Royals, who host Conestoga Saturday at 10 a.m. The game was rescheduled from Friday night after the Upper Darby School District closed school due to “an online threat involving a potential shooting,” according to an email Superintendent Dan Nerelli sent to parents Wednesday night. The high school will now be open Friday.

“When everything happened, it was motivation for me to keep playing football,” Shawn said. “God was telling me to go harder on the field and it was something that pushed me. I want to do it for my family because seeing them crying, after it all went down, just motivated me. I wanted to come to practice the day after it happened, but my mom and dad told me to take some time off and to stay with them. But I wanted to get back right away.”

Shawn’s parents, grandmother and other familiar faces were in attendance two weeks ago at Memorial Field to watch Shawn help the Royals to a victory Bonner & Prendergast. Rest assured he will have a fan section at every game.

“My mindset was to go out and play and to show my family that I care about them. I just want to give it 110 percent every time I am on the field,” Shawn said. “We don’t take life for granted any more. As a family we all try to stick by each other.”