Tony Proudfoot
Encyclopedia
John A. "Tony" Proudfoot (September 10, 1949 – December 30, 2010) was an All-Star
defensive back in the Canadian Football League
, teacher, coach, broadcaster and journalist.
He was a Grey Cup
champion twice as a player, and twice as special consultant to Montreal Alouettes
Head Coach Marc Trestman
in 2009 and 2010. In 2007 Proudfoot was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
, a motor neurone disease for which there is no cure. He wrote regular updates on his deterioration in the Montreal Gazette. He founded the Tony Proudfoot Fund for ALS Research at the ALS Society of Quebec, which, as of December 2010, had raised $500,000 for research into the disease.
. He attended John Rennie High School
, graduating in 1966. Proudfoot went on to study at the University of New Brunswick
and played as a linebacker for the University's football team. In 1970, he was nominated for the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded annually to Canada's outstanding intercollegiate football player. In 1971, Proudfoot graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education.
draft pick in 1971, and played for them for nine seasons (1971-79, 107 games), including five Grey Cup championship games. Proudfoot initially played as a linebacker
, and was cut in that role. However, he was re-signed in 1973 and converted to a defensive back
. He played on the Alouette's 1974 Grey Cup
winning team. After missing much of the 1976 season because of injury, he moved to defensive half-back. With time, Proudfoot and his fellow players became so experienced that they made the calls on the field; they signalled their plans to defensive coordinator Dick Roach in case he had show to show that they were following his plans. He and the team partied extensively in the bars and restaurants of Crescent Street
. In July 1977, his coach Marv Levy
described Proudfoot as a "very smart football player ... [who] gets [the] very best out of himself" and who "isn't selfishly competing with his own teammates". Proudfoot later reflected that his success in professional football was due to being able to work, learn, ask good questions and process information, as "I didn't have great ability".
During the "Ice Bowl
" at Montreal's Olympic Stadium
, the field was icy and very slippery. Before the game players from the Alouettes and their opponents, the Edmonton Eskimos
tried various solutions to avoid falling, including broomball
shoes, and various kinds of cleats, but none were very effective. In the stadium just prior to the pre-game warm-up, Proudfoot saw a Bell Canada electrician with a staple gun, and tried firing staples into the tip of the cleats on his shoes. Over the course of the game, more and more of the Alouettes players followed suit. Proudfoot later recalled "With that little bit of a grip, it gave you extra confidence. We really knew we had something when Gerry Dattilio
caught a short pass from Sonny Wade
and ran right past Larry Highbaugh
for a big gain. Gerry will tell you that he was not ... well, he was not very fast. And Highbaugh was known as one of the fastest guys in the league. That's when we knew we had something. It was a big factor in that 41-6 win. Proudfoot was a CFL All-Star in 1977 and 1979. He also played 3 seasons (1980 to 1982, 41 games) with the B.C. Lions. He retired from the CFL at the end of the 1982 season.
in Montreal
in 1978, and continued to work for there for 30 years. In the years that followed, he also lectured in Exercise Science at Concordia University
and Physical Education at McGill. Following his playing career, he received some coaching offers in the CFL, but decided to combine his teaching career, which provided financial stability, with coaching in Montreal. Proudfoot coached youth community teams and school teams in Pointe-Claire, Lower Canada College
as well as the Junior Alouettes and the Junior Concordes. In summers, he worked as Waterfront Director at Camp Nominingue in the Laurentians from 1987 to 1995. For four years, he served as Assistant Coach for the Concordia Stingers
, including 1998 when the Stingers reached the Vanier Cup
. Proudfoot also pursued further education, and received a master's degree in Sports Science
at McGill University
.
When the Alouettes returned to the CFL in 1996, Proudfoot became the team's radio analyst on CJAD. He served as assistant coach to Alouette head coach Rod Rust
in 2001, but continued to work as a broadcast analyst, never betraying the confidences of the team and its players during his broadcasts.
In 2002, Proudfoot began planning a book to examine about which traits and qualities result in greatness in a CFL player. Following several years of interviews, research and writing Proudfoot's book entitled "First and Goal: The CFL and the Pursuit of Excellence" was published in 2006. The book includes insights from 44 coaches and players, including Dave Dickenson
, Wally Buono
and Geroy Simon
. Jack Todd
described the book as a "compelling analysis of all the factors that make the game entertaining and complex."
Proudfoot saw some of the injured from his office window during the 2006 Dawson College shooting
, and descended with his first aid kit. While the shooting continued and until a stretcher arrived about 15 minutes later, he tended to a student who had been shot in the head. The young man survived.
(ALS), a motor neurone disorder was made in early May at the Montreal Neurological Institute
. The disease, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease" affects the nerve cells of the central nervous system
, leading to increasing paralysis of muscles that control voluntary movement and, eventually death. Listeners to his broadcasts as a football analyst on CJAD noticed his speech disorder
, and some suggested that he was drunk. As a result, in June 2007, Proudfoot publicly revealed that he had ALS. Proudfoot commented at the time "I'm a physical-education teacher. I've spent my whole life being active, so it's ironic to now get a muscle disease." In addition, Proudfoot noted the irony of a radio broadcaster and teacher losing his ability to speak.
Proudfoot was widely admired for the lack of self-pity, bravery and humour he showed in facing the disease, and for using it as an opportunity for education and to raise money for research. He wrote that he had determined to "Suck it up and get on with life (remember, no whining allowed!) and enjoy every day." Proudfoot retired from Dawson College and Concordia University, but initially continued to work as a football analyst on CJAD. He served as a guest coach for the Alouettes during the team's 2008 training camp. He was invited back for 2009 despite no longer being able to communicate verbally, and instead used a small whiteboard on which he wrote notes or drew diagrams. In 2008, Proudfoot was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Football Reporters wing. To make his acceptance speech, he used a speech generating device, an electronic communication aid that speaks aloud what the user has typed. In 2008, Proudfoot was awarded an honorary doctorate of science (kinesiology
) degree from the University of New Brunswick.
In November 2010, he accepted the CFL's Hugh Campbell Award for Distinguished Leadership before the Grey Cup Eastern Conference final in Montreal from CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon
. He served as special consultant to the Alouette's head coach, Marc Trestman
, during the 2009 and 2010 CFL season's both Grey Cup winning seasons for the team, and was a Grey Cup ring in the spring of 2010.
After his diagnosis, Proudfoot worked to raise public awareness of ALS. He was interviewed regularly by radio, TV and print media across Canada. With the ALS Society of Quebec, he raised funds for ALS, including setting up the "Tony Proudfoot Fund for ALS research". The funds provide support to ALS patients and their families as well as, the Tony Proudfoot Post-Doctoral Fellowships in ALS Research at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. Alouettes such as Anthony Calvillo
, Ben Cahoon
, Scott Flory
and others participated in the fundraising events. Davis Sanchez
, a B.C. Lion cornerback and a former Alouette, donated a game cheque to the fund in honour of his former mentor in during his time with the Als. By December 2010, the fund had raised $500,000. Beginning in 2007, Proudfoot also wrote a series of articles about his triumphs and challenges with the disease in the Montreal Gazette.
In December 2010, the newspaper published an emotional farewell address from Proudfoot, recapping previous articles he had written about his struggle with ALS and thanking supporters. In the article, he stated that it would be his last such piece before his death, which he felt was "imminent". The same day, Dawson College announced that they would be naming their gyms the "Tony Proudfoot Gymnasium." The College cited "his long service to Dawson College, his careers in professional football and education, his life-saving heroics during the Dawson shooting and his establishment of the fund for ALS research."
Proudfoot was married and had two daughters and a son. Following his diagnosis, the two children who had moved away from Montreal, returned to the city. Proudfoot moved to The West Island Palliative Care Residence on December 28, 2010, and died two days later at the age of 61. A final Montreal Gazette column written by Proudfoot and published after his death, expressed his gratitude for his life, family, friends and the care he had received, and his pride that he had fought the illness with determination.
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
defensive back in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, teacher, coach, broadcaster and journalist.
He was a Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
champion twice as a player, and twice as special consultant to Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
Head Coach Marc Trestman
Marc Trestman
Marc Trestman is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.-Early life:Trestman is Jewish. He graduated in 1974 from Saint Louis Park High School in Minnesota. He played quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for three seasons...
in 2009 and 2010. In 2007 Proudfoot was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
, a motor neurone disease for which there is no cure. He wrote regular updates on his deterioration in the Montreal Gazette. He founded the Tony Proudfoot Fund for ALS Research at the ALS Society of Quebec, which, as of December 2010, had raised $500,000 for research into the disease.
Early life
Proudfoot was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and later moved to Pointe-Claire, QuebecQuebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He attended John Rennie High School
John Rennie High School
John Rennie High School , located in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada, is an English language secondary school which opened in 1955. The school was named after Hon. John Rennie, , the Union Nationale Member of the National Assembly for Huntingdon from 1947 to 1952...
, graduating in 1966. Proudfoot went on to study at the University of New Brunswick
University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick is a Canadian university located in the province of New Brunswick. UNB is the oldest English language university in Canada and among the first public universities in North America. The university has two main campuses: the original campus founded in 1785 in...
and played as a linebacker for the University's football team. In 1970, he was nominated for the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded annually to Canada's outstanding intercollegiate football player. In 1971, Proudfoot graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education.
CFL career
Proudfoot was a Montreal AlouettesMontreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
draft pick in 1971, and played for them for nine seasons (1971-79, 107 games), including five Grey Cup championship games. Proudfoot initially played as a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, and was cut in that role. However, he was re-signed in 1973 and converted to a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. He played on the Alouette's 1974 Grey Cup
62nd Grey Cup
The 62nd Grey Cup was played on November 24, 1974 before 32,454 fans at Empire Stadium at Vancouver. The Montreal Alouettes beat the Edmonton Eskimos 20 to 7 on rain slick field...
winning team. After missing much of the 1976 season because of injury, he moved to defensive half-back. With time, Proudfoot and his fellow players became so experienced that they made the calls on the field; they signalled their plans to defensive coordinator Dick Roach in case he had show to show that they were following his plans. He and the team partied extensively in the bars and restaurants of Crescent Street
Crescent Street
Crescent Street is a southbound street located in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Running perpendicular to Saint Catherine Street, Crescent Street descends from Sherbrooke Street south to René-Lévesque Boulevard....
. In July 1977, his coach Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
described Proudfoot as a "very smart football player ... [who] gets [the] very best out of himself" and who "isn't selfishly competing with his own teammates". Proudfoot later reflected that his success in professional football was due to being able to work, learn, ask good questions and process information, as "I didn't have great ability".
During the "Ice Bowl
65th Grey Cup
The 65th Grey Cup, played on November 27, 1977 and also known as The Ice Bowl, was the 1977 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship final between the Montreal Alouettes and the Edmonton Eskimos...
" at Montreal's Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium
The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words Olympic...
, the field was icy and very slippery. Before the game players from the Alouettes and their opponents, the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
tried various solutions to avoid falling, including broomball
Broomball
Broomball is a recreational ice game originating in Canada and played around the world. It is played in a hockey rink, either indoors or outdoors, depending on climate and location. Broomball is popular in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where Glenella is the Broomball Capital of the World...
shoes, and various kinds of cleats, but none were very effective. In the stadium just prior to the pre-game warm-up, Proudfoot saw a Bell Canada electrician with a staple gun, and tried firing staples into the tip of the cleats on his shoes. Over the course of the game, more and more of the Alouettes players followed suit. Proudfoot later recalled "With that little bit of a grip, it gave you extra confidence. We really knew we had something when Gerry Dattilio
Gerry Dattilio
Gerry Dattilio is a former professional Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League.- Early years :Dattilio played his high school football with the Chomedey Chiefs in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when he won a City Championship by beating St. Thomas High School of...
caught a short pass from Sonny Wade
Sonny Wade
Sonny Wade born April 1, 1947 in Martinsville, Virginia, a graduate of the "powerhouse" football program at Emory and Henry College in Virginia, and played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League from 1969 to 1978....
and ran right past Larry Highbaugh
Larry Highbaugh
Larry Highbaugh is a former defensive back for the British Columbia Lions from 1971-1972 and the Edmonton Eskimos from 1972-1983 of the Canadian Football League...
for a big gain. Gerry will tell you that he was not ... well, he was not very fast. And Highbaugh was known as one of the fastest guys in the league. That's when we knew we had something. It was a big factor in that 41-6 win. Proudfoot was a CFL All-Star in 1977 and 1979. He also played 3 seasons (1980 to 1982, 41 games) with the B.C. Lions. He retired from the CFL at the end of the 1982 season.
Teaching, coaching and broadcasting
During his playing career, Proudfoot began teaching Physical Education at Dawson CollegeDawson College
Dawson College was the first English CEGEP and is located in Westmount, just west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dawson College is located near the heart of downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on 4.85 hectares of green space...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1978, and continued to work for there for 30 years. In the years that followed, he also lectured in Exercise Science at Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
and Physical Education at McGill. Following his playing career, he received some coaching offers in the CFL, but decided to combine his teaching career, which provided financial stability, with coaching in Montreal. Proudfoot coached youth community teams and school teams in Pointe-Claire, Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College
Lower Canada College of Montreal is an elementary and secondary level private school.The college was founded by the Church of St John the Evangelist in 1861 as St. John's School and changed its name to Lower Canada College in 1909, replacing an older school by that name that was founded in...
as well as the Junior Alouettes and the Junior Concordes. In summers, he worked as Waterfront Director at Camp Nominingue in the Laurentians from 1987 to 1995. For four years, he served as Assistant Coach for the Concordia Stingers
Concordia Stingers
The Concordia Stingers are the athletic teams that represent Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They compete with other schools in Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and more specifically, in the Quebec Student Sports Federation and the Quebec University Football League...
, including 1998 when the Stingers reached the Vanier Cup
Vanier Cup
The Vanier Cup is the name of the championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport football and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is currently played between the winners of the Uteck Bowl and the Mitchell Bowl...
. Proudfoot also pursued further education, and received a master's degree in Sports Science
Sports science
Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...
at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
.
When the Alouettes returned to the CFL in 1996, Proudfoot became the team's radio analyst on CJAD. He served as assistant coach to Alouette head coach Rod Rust
Rod Rust
Rodney A. Rust is a former American football player and coach. He is best known in the United States as the coach of the New England Patriots of the National Football League during the 1990 season, which ended with a 1–15 record....
in 2001, but continued to work as a broadcast analyst, never betraying the confidences of the team and its players during his broadcasts.
In 2002, Proudfoot began planning a book to examine about which traits and qualities result in greatness in a CFL player. Following several years of interviews, research and writing Proudfoot's book entitled "First and Goal: The CFL and the Pursuit of Excellence" was published in 2006. The book includes insights from 44 coaches and players, including Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
, Wally Buono
Wally Buono
Pasquale "Wally" Buono is the head coach, general manager and alternate governor of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League, and one of the most successful coaches in league history. He is in his 19th year of coaching, previously as head coach of the Calgary Stampeders and currently with the...
and Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon is a professional Canadian football slotback with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League...
. Jack Todd
Jack Todd
Jack Todd is a sports columnist for the Montreal Gazette since 1986. Todd was an American citizen who deserted from the U.S. Army to avoid being sent to fight during the Vietnam War...
described the book as a "compelling analysis of all the factors that make the game entertaining and complex."
Proudfoot saw some of the injured from his office window during the 2006 Dawson College shooting
Dawson College shooting
The Dawson College shooting occurred on September 13, 2006 at Dawson College, a CEGEP in Westmount near downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The perpetrator, Kimveer Gill, began shooting outside the de Maisonneuve Boulevard entrance to the school, and moved towards the atrium by the cafeteria on the...
, and descended with his first aid kit. While the shooting continued and until a stretcher arrived about 15 minutes later, he tended to a student who had been shot in the head. The young man survived.
Illness and Death
Proudfoot first noticed that his speech was slurred while lecturing at Concordia University in February 2007. A diagnosis of bulbar onset Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
(ALS), a motor neurone disorder was made in early May at the Montreal Neurological Institute
Montreal Neurological Institute
The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital is an academic medical centre dedicated to neuroscience research, training and clinical care. The Institute is part of McGill University and the Hospital is one of the five teaching hospitals of the McGill University Health Centre, in Montreal,...
. The disease, also known as "Lou Gehrig's disease" affects the nerve cells of the central nervous system
Central nervous system
The central nervous system is the part of the nervous system that integrates the information that it receives from, and coordinates the activity of, all parts of the bodies of bilaterian animals—that is, all multicellular animals except sponges and radially symmetric animals such as jellyfish...
, leading to increasing paralysis of muscles that control voluntary movement and, eventually death. Listeners to his broadcasts as a football analyst on CJAD noticed his speech disorder
Dysarthria
Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury of the motor component of the motor-speech system and is characterized by poor articulation of phonemes...
, and some suggested that he was drunk. As a result, in June 2007, Proudfoot publicly revealed that he had ALS. Proudfoot commented at the time "I'm a physical-education teacher. I've spent my whole life being active, so it's ironic to now get a muscle disease." In addition, Proudfoot noted the irony of a radio broadcaster and teacher losing his ability to speak.
Proudfoot was widely admired for the lack of self-pity, bravery and humour he showed in facing the disease, and for using it as an opportunity for education and to raise money for research. He wrote that he had determined to "Suck it up and get on with life (remember, no whining allowed!) and enjoy every day." Proudfoot retired from Dawson College and Concordia University, but initially continued to work as a football analyst on CJAD. He served as a guest coach for the Alouettes during the team's 2008 training camp. He was invited back for 2009 despite no longer being able to communicate verbally, and instead used a small whiteboard on which he wrote notes or drew diagrams. In 2008, Proudfoot was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
Football Reporters wing. To make his acceptance speech, he used a speech generating device, an electronic communication aid that speaks aloud what the user has typed. In 2008, Proudfoot was awarded an honorary doctorate of science (kinesiology
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
) degree from the University of New Brunswick.
In November 2010, he accepted the CFL's Hugh Campbell Award for Distinguished Leadership before the Grey Cup Eastern Conference final in Montreal from CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon
Mark Cohon
Mark Steven Cohon is the Canadian Football League's 12th Commissioner. The son of McDonald's of Canada founder George Cohon, he was appointed in 2007 succeeding Tom Wright....
. He served as special consultant to the Alouette's head coach, Marc Trestman
Marc Trestman
Marc Trestman is the head coach of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.-Early life:Trestman is Jewish. He graduated in 1974 from Saint Louis Park High School in Minnesota. He played quarterback for the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for three seasons...
, during the 2009 and 2010 CFL season's both Grey Cup winning seasons for the team, and was a Grey Cup ring in the spring of 2010.
After his diagnosis, Proudfoot worked to raise public awareness of ALS. He was interviewed regularly by radio, TV and print media across Canada. With the ALS Society of Quebec, he raised funds for ALS, including setting up the "Tony Proudfoot Fund for ALS research". The funds provide support to ALS patients and their families as well as, the Tony Proudfoot Post-Doctoral Fellowships in ALS Research at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) at McGill University and the McGill University Health Centre. Alouettes such as Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
, Ben Cahoon
Ben Cahoon
Ben Cahoon is a former professional Canadian football slotback in the Canadian Football League who spent his entire career with the Montreal Alouettes...
, Scott Flory
Scott Flory
Scott Flory is a Canadian Football League offensive lineman for the Montreal Alouettes.- Honours :*2008 - CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award*2008 - CFL's Most Outstanding Lineman Award*2002 Grey Cup Champion...
and others participated in the fundraising events. Davis Sanchez
Davis Sanchez
Davis Sanchez is a former National Football League and current Canadian Football League cornerback for the B.C. Lions.-Early years:...
, a B.C. Lion cornerback and a former Alouette, donated a game cheque to the fund in honour of his former mentor in during his time with the Als. By December 2010, the fund had raised $500,000. Beginning in 2007, Proudfoot also wrote a series of articles about his triumphs and challenges with the disease in the Montreal Gazette.
In December 2010, the newspaper published an emotional farewell address from Proudfoot, recapping previous articles he had written about his struggle with ALS and thanking supporters. In the article, he stated that it would be his last such piece before his death, which he felt was "imminent". The same day, Dawson College announced that they would be naming their gyms the "Tony Proudfoot Gymnasium." The College cited "his long service to Dawson College, his careers in professional football and education, his life-saving heroics during the Dawson shooting and his establishment of the fund for ALS research."
Proudfoot was married and had two daughters and a son. Following his diagnosis, the two children who had moved away from Montreal, returned to the city. Proudfoot moved to The West Island Palliative Care Residence on December 28, 2010, and died two days later at the age of 61. A final Montreal Gazette column written by Proudfoot and published after his death, expressed his gratitude for his life, family, friends and the care he had received, and his pride that he had fought the illness with determination.