Jim Coode
{{Short description|American gridiron football player (1951–1987)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography
| name = Jim Coode
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date |1951|10|22}}
| birth_place = Mayfield Heights, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1987|6|17|1951|10|22}}
| death_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| team =
| number = 60
| status =
| import = yes
| position1 = Offensive tackle
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 4
| weight_lb = 260
| college = Michigan
| NFLDraftedYear = 1974
| NFLDraftedRound = 7
| NFLDraftedPick = 173
| NFLDraftedTeam = Atlanta Falcons
| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1974}}–{{CFL Year|1980}}
| playing_team1 = Ottawa Rough Riders
| career_highlights =
- Grey Cup champion (1976)
- CFL's Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award (1978)
- Leo Dandurand Trophy ({{CFL Year|1978}})
- Tom Pate Memorial Award (1980)
- 3× Second-team All-Big Ten (1971, 1972, 1973)
| CFLAllStar = {{CFL Year|1978}}
| CFLEastAllStar = {{CFL Year|1976}}, {{CFL Year|1978}}
| awards =
| honors =
| retired #s = Ottawa Rough Riders #60
}}
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
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.{{cite web|title=Michigan Football Roster Database|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=March 10, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/rosters/football.php}}{{cite news|title=Goody, Goody Bo's Got Coode|newspaper=Owosso Argus-Press|date=October 19, 1971|page=16|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1978&dat=19711018&id=qUkiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4aoFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5602,5198250}} 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.{{cite web|title=1972 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=March 10, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1972fbt.htm}} 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.{{cite web|title=1973 Football Team|publisher=University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library|access-date=March 10, 2015|url=https://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1973fbt.htm}}
Professional football
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.{{cite news|title=Coode in Camp|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=October 1, 1974|page=21|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19741001&id=K64yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=n-wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6441,109710}}
After leaving the WFL, Coode joined the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) at the end of September 1974. 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.{{cite web|title=Ottawa Football Retired Numbers|publisher=Ottawa Red Blacks|access-date=March 10, 2015|url=http://www.ottawaredblacks.com/retired-numbers|archive-date=October 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027023220/https://www.ottawaredblacks.com/retired-numbers|url-status=dead}} Coode was diagnosed with ALS in 1979 and appeared in four games for the Rough Riders in 1980 after the diagnosis.{{cite news|title=Ottawa club due for wholesale changes next season|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=November 10, 1980|page=25|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19801110&id=oq4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=du4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2400,292208}}{{Cite news|title=The Quiet Man, Jim Coode, goes unnoticed|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=June 9, 1980|page=17|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19800609&id=a64yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cu4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=4798,4126491}}
Family and later years
Coode was married to Lisa Coode, and they had a son, Jamie. Coode continued to live in Ottawa after retiring from football. A tribute dinner for Coode in May 1983 drew 1,200 persons.{{cite news|title=Special town honors special person in Jim Coode|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=May 4, 1983|page=45|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19830504&id=4KMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ae8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5277,1333883}} Bo Schembechler spoke at the tribute.{{cite news|title=1,200 pay tribute to 'great man'|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=May 4, 1983|page=45|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19830504&id=4KMyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ae8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=5277,1333883}} By December 1986, Coode's weight had dropped from 275 pounds to 130 pounds.{{cite news|title=Jim Coode still the same inside|author=Earl McRae|newspaper=The Citizen, Ottawa|date=December 12, 1986|page=C1|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19861212&id=6r4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ye8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2144,866517}} Coode died at a hospital on June 17, 1987.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.{{cite news|title=Ice Bucket Challenge evokes memories of former Riders|author=Gord Holder|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|date=September 4, 2014|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/sports/football/cfl/ice-bucket-challenge-evokes-memories-of-ex-riders}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Atlanta Falcons 1974 draft navbox}}
{{64th Grey Cup}}
{{CFL Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award}}
{{Tom Pate Award}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coode, Jim}}
Category:American football offensive tackles
Category:Canadian football offensive linemen
Category:Detroit Wheels players
Category:Michigan Wolverines football players
Category:Ottawa Rough Riders players
Category:People from Mayfield Heights, Ohio
Category:Players of American football from Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Category:Players of Canadian football from Ohio