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American gridiron football player (1951?1987)
James Edward Coode
(October 22, 1951 ? June 17, 1987) was an
American football
and
Canadian football
player. He played
college football
for the
University of Michigan
from 1970 to 1973 and professional football for the
Detroit Wheels
(two games in 1974) and the
Ottawa Rough Riders
(1974?1980). He was diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) in 1979 and died in 1987.
University of Michigan
[
edit
]
A native of
Mayfield Heights, Ohio
, Coode enrolled at the
University of Michigan
in 1969 and played
college football
as an
offensive tackle
for
Bo Schembechler
's
Michigan Wolverines football
teams from 1970 to 1973.
[1]
[2]
As a junior, he started every game at left tackle for the
1972 Michigan Wolverines football team
that compiled a 10?1 record and was ranked No. 6 in the final
AP Poll
.
[3]
As a senior, he started nine games at right tackle for the undefeated
1973 Michigan Wolverines football team
that compiled a 10?0?1 record and was ranked No. 6 in the final
AP Poll
.
[4]
Coode began his professional football career in 1974 with the
Detroit Wheels
of the
World Football League
(WFL). He left the Wheels after playing two games when the team was unable to pay its players.
[5]
After leaving the WFL, Coode joined the
Ottawa Rough Riders
of the
Canadian Football League
(CFL) at the end of September 1974.
[5]
played professional football for seven seasons in the
Canadian Football League
(CFL) as an
offensive lineman
for the
Ottawa Rough Riders
. He was a part of the Rough Riders'
Grey Cup
victory in 1976. He won the
CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award
in 1978 and the
Tom Pate Memorial Award
for community service in 1980. His jersey (#60) has been retired by the Rough Riders, and re-retired by the REDBLACKS.
[6]
Coode was diagnosed with
ALS
in 1979 and appeared in four games for the Rough Riders in 1980 after the diagnosis.
[7]
[8]
Family and later years
[
edit
]
Coode was married to Lisa Coode, and they had a son, Jamie.
[9]
Coode continued to live in Ottawa after retiring from football. A tribute dinner for Coode in May 1983 drew 1,200 persons.
[10]
Bo Schembechler
spoke at the tribute.
[11]
By December 1986, Coode's weight had dropped from 275 pounds to 130 pounds.
[9]
Coode died at a hospital on June 17, 1987.
[12]
[13]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Michigan Football Roster Database"
. University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library
. Retrieved
March 10,
2015
.
- ^
"Goody, Goody Bo's Got Coode"
.
Owosso Argus-Press
. October 19, 1971. p. 16.
- ^
"1972 Football Team"
. University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library
. Retrieved
March 10,
2015
.
- ^
"1973 Football Team"
. University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library
. Retrieved
March 10,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"Coode in Camp"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. October 1, 1974. p. 21.
- ^
"Ottawa Football Retired Numbers"
. Ottawa Red Blacks
. Retrieved
March 10,
2015
.
- ^
"Ottawa club due for wholesale changes next season"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. November 10, 1980. p. 25.
- ^
"The Quiet Man, Jim Coode, goes unnoticed"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. June 9, 1980. p. 17.
- ^
a
b
Earl McRae (December 12, 1986).
"Jim Coode still the same inside"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. p. C1.
- ^
"Special town honors special person in Jim Coode"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. May 4, 1983. p. 45.
- ^
"1,200 pay tribute to 'great man'
"
.
The Citizen, Ottawa
. May 4, 1983. p. 45.
- ^
Jim Coode loses long battle; Big No. 60 offered a message of hope: [FINAL Edition]
McRae, Earl. The Ottawa Citizen [Ottawa, Ont] 18 June 1987: C1.
- ^
Gord Holder (September 4, 2014).
"Ice Bucket Challenge evokes memories of former Riders"
.
Ottawa Citizen
.