Jim Stillwagon passes away

[argos1873]

RIP:

https://www.cflaa.ca/toronto-argonauts-alumnus-jim-stillwagon-passes-away-at-the-age-of-68/

[Argo57]

Sad news, extremely talented player who was never the same after injuring himself during the “All Pro Countdown” CFL skills competition.

[jerrym]

Great player. The 70s were the time when the Argos seriously competed with the NFL in signing players. I'm glad he was named an All-Time Argo in 2009 while he was still alive.
He also had a great college career at Ohio State.
For those who are too young to remember him, here is his profile.



Jim Stillwagon was another one of the high profile import players that the Argonauts under owner John Bassett signed in the early 1970s, tryin to break the drought that hadn't seeen a Toronto Grey Cup win since 1952. The defensive tackle played his college football at Ohio State. Stillwagon helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in his sophmore season, and in his final year was named the UPI top lop lineman in college football. Stillwagon was drafted lower than expected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth of the NFL draft. Moreover, the Packers wanted to use Stillwagon at linebacker, and he wanted to play defensive tackle. This lead Stillwagon to sign with the Toronto Argos in 1971. The Argos high profile signings almost paid off in Stillwagon's rookie season, but the boatmen lost in the Grey Cup - the year of the infamous Leon McQuay fumble late in the championship game. In any event, you can't blame Stillwagon for the Argos not winning With the Argos, Stillwagon won three East All-Stars and three CFL All-Stars (1971, 1972 and 1974). In 1972, Stillwagon was named the top lineman in the East, and runner-up to Calgary's John Helton for the CFL award. It looked like Stillwagon was ready to bolt to the NFL, but the Argonauts still had an option on his services for 1973. Stillwagon ended up resigning with the Argos, but missed most of the 1975 season due to an injury and that seemed to finish him with the Argos. Toronto traded Stillwagon to BC in June of 1976 for future considerations, but never joined the Lions, and his career was over.



http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/s/stillwagon_jim.htm



Stillwagon was a three-year starter with the Ohio State (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_University) Buckeyes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_State_Buckeyes). He was a consensus All-America (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-America) selection as a junior (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1969_College_Football_All-America_Team) and senior (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_College_Football_All-America_Team), and won the Outland Trophy (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outland_Trophy) and was the first-ever winner of the Lombardi Award (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lombardi_Award). He also won the 1970 UPI Lineman of the Year (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPI_Lineman_of_the_Year_(College)). Stillwagon was one of the so-called Super Sophomores (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Ohio_State_Buckeyes_football#OSU's_supe r_sophomores) of 1968, guiding the Buckeyes to an undefeated season and a consensus national championship. Stillwagon and the other Super Sophomores finished their college careers with a record of 27-2.




https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Stillwagon

[ArgoGabe22]

#68 dies at 68. RIP

[doubleblue]

He was a good one. Hard to imagine playing DT now at 235-240.

[jerrym]

He was a good one. Hard to imagine playing DT now at 235-240.

Off topic, but the mention of undersized players, reminds me of a story 6'5", 290 lb Rosey Grier, one of the first "big" DL who played from from 1955 to 1967, used to tell. Early in his career he played against one of the NFL's last under 200 lb OL. Try as he might he couldn't beat him initially, so he decided to brutalize the OL well outside the rules using his size to his advantage. No matter what Grier did he couldn't get by the OL (sorry I don't remember the name). Finally, the OL leaned over and said "Keep it up Rosey, you're doing a great job". Rosey psychologically couldn't find it in himself to keep up the brutal tactics.
Smaller players have to be especially mentally tough to survive in the game.

[OV Argo]

He was a good one. Hard to imagine playing DT now at 235-240.

With today's weight training / personal trainers, applied diets and "supplements", pretty well all of these under-sized players of the past could easily be at average playing weight for their positions if they were around today and if they wanted to be.

And Wayne Harris playing MLB at around 195 range is still about 10x better than the majority of CFL MLBs of the last 20 or more years - even if he was playing today at 195 (the Esks won a GC with AJ Gass playing MLB listed at 205 in this century); but again, Harris would easily be able to be "trained" to weigh more like 215 nowdays; and Stillwagon could probably easily carry 265 or so - and be better than any DT in the CFL now (and by a long-shot probably) - he was a super-skilled DT.

RIP #68

[AngeloV]

He was a good one. Hard to imagine playing DT now at 235-240.

Very few O-lineman weighed more than 260 in those days. Ambrosie mentioned last night in his rookie season of '85, he played tackle at 251. Training much different today, and has become a year round thing. That is why I took issue with the commish calling out players to take off season jobs. Some players need to work out all year or they will not make a roster.