Filed under: CFL
MONTREAL (AP) -- Tony Proudfoot, a former CFL all-star who once employed a staple gun to give his team an edge in the Grey Cup's storied "Ice Bowl," has died. He was 61.The former defensive back died Wednesday. Proudfoot had been suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a terminal, degenerative illness more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease
On the field, Proudfoot was an aggressive, yet cerebral, defender who refused to back down from a challenge -- whether it was the slick, icy turf or a big-time collision.
Away from the gridiron, the former defensive back proved to be even more courageous in the face of adversity.
Proudfoot rushed into a gunman's hail at Dawson College to save a student's life and then stared down a disease he knew would claim his own.
He was diagnosed in May 2007 with ALS.
But Proudfoot, a husband and father of three, refused to sit in the shadows as his health -- including his ability to breathe and speak -- quickly faded.
Instead, the former sportscaster and college professor mounted a public battle through the Tony Proudfoot Fund, which has raised more than $530,000 for ALS research and patients' families.
He penned moving, personal accounts of his struggle by writing occasional columns in the Montreal Gazette.
"That was Tony -- his motto in life was, basically, 'Suck it up and no complaining'," said Jim Simons, a longtime friend who played football alongside Proudfoot at the University of New Brunswick.
"He didn't make that up when he got ALS. He lived his life like that."
Yvonne Strzechowski Rhona Mitra Kelly Rowland Danica Patrick Josie Maran
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