Early in the 2018 NFL season, ESPN told a riveting story about Kansas City Chiefs running backs coach Deland McCullough and his quest to find his birth parents. Recently, the short film documenting that story was awarded a Sports Emmy.
The “E:60” documentary detailed McCullough’s adoption, his involvement in football and his pursuit of having a family of his own. When new legislation in Pennsylvania made it possible for him to search for his birth parents, he submitted a request to the government. He was able to find his mother, but there was no father listed on his birth certificate. He eventually made contact with his mother through social media. What his mother revealed about his father was jaw-dropping.
If you prefer the written word, you can read the article that accompanies the “E:60” story here.
You can also watch the big reveal here.
ESPN reporter Sarah Spain was behind creating this documentary, along with producer John Minton. It was a huge undertaking, because secrecy was paramount in this story having such an impact.
“We knew that if anyone connected to the Chiefs, Seahawks, USC, Miami University or even the Youngstown area heard there was a half-hour feature on the Chiefs new running backs coach, Deland McCullough, they would start digging,” Spain said to ESPN.
Luckily, everyone was able to keep the story under wraps while it was in production. Now that the story is out there to be shared with the world, it’s getting well-deserved recognition.
The documentary won the Sports Emmy for “Outstanding Short Sports Documentary.”
Congratulations to the ESPN “E:60” team and McCullough.
