HAMILTON (CFL.ca wire) — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced on Tuesday that after discussing all options with the players involved, Canadian linebacker Rob Hitchcock and Canadian wide receiver Mike Morreale have chosen to be released by the team.
“After an agonizing 48 hours, looking at this from every possible perspective, the Tiger-Cats organization has made a very difficult decision,” said Ticats president Scott Mitchell. “While Rob Hitchcock and Mike Morreale will always be invaluable members of the organization, from this point forward it will no longer be in their present roles. We have offered both Mike and Rob an opportunity to remain with our organization and they have indicated that they would like some time to reflect on the offer.”
Hitchcock was the Ticats second round (17th overall) selection in the 1995 CFL Canadian Draft. In 12 seasons, all with Hamilton, Hitchcock played 200 games and became the Ticats all-time leader in defensive tackles (482) as well as special teams tackles (122) and also recorded the third most interceptions in team history (36).
The Weber State product was named as a CFL and East Division All-Star three times and played an instrumental role on the Ticats 1999 Grey Cup championship team.
Morreale played eight seasons in Hamilton, 12 in the CFL, and remarkably never missed a single game in that entire span. In 216 career games, Morreale recorded 509 receptions for 6,649 yards and 24 touchdowns.
He captured two Grey Cups, one with Toronto in 1996 and one with Hamilton in which he was named the championship’s Most Outstanding Canadian in 1999.
