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Air Force recalls CFL player to duty

Ross Weaver and Caleb Campbell are in two different football leagues and two different military branches. But they recently got similar news.

Campbell was the safety from Army who was drafted by the Detroit Lions only to have his previous agreement with West Point rescinded when he was ordered back to active duty.

Now the same thing has happened to Weaver, 25, a 6-foot-6, 303-pound offensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League.

A graduate of the Air Force Academy, Ross was given permission to play football but last weekend was told to report to F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., for duty as a missile crew commander.

“They made the decision Friday and word got to me this last weekend,” Weaver told the Toronto Star. “I have a commitment I have to fulfill. It’s what I have to do.”

Originally the Air Force was allowing him to take six years to finish the remaining three years of active duty.

“The Air Force approved leave for me. They granted me leave to do this and allowed me to go do it but they’ve deemed at this time that my skills, my expertise and my training dealing with my particular job is at a very high need,” explained Weaver. “It’s unfortunate but it is what I signed up to do.”