Barrie born Argos star James “Jim” Corrigall dead at 80

Former Argo Jim Corrigall has passed away at 80-years-old.

A Hall of Fame inductee with an all-star-level football career over a decade long, Barrie’s James “Jim” Corrigall has died at 80 years old.

Corrigall was born in Barrie on May 7, 1946. His death was announced on Thursday.

Raised in Barrie, he attended school for a while in North Bay before returning to attend St. Joseph’s High School and Barrie North Collegiate, then accepting an offer to Kent State University in 1966.

At the collegiate level, Corrigall excelled as a lineman.

He was named to the All-Mid-America Conference First Team for three consecutive years. He was twice voted Kent State’s most efficient lineman and set the record at his alma matter for the most tackles with 334, of which 183 were solo tackles and 150 were assisted tackles.

His college career was decorated with a number of different awards and recognitions, including being invited to play at a collegiate football all-star game and becoming the first Canadian ever selected to the National Education Association All-America Team.

Corrigall was selected at 33 overall in the second round of the National Football League’s 1970 draft.

Despite being selected by the St. Louis Cardinals, Corrigall famously opted to come back to Canada and play in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

He signed with the Toronto Argonauts in 1971, where he anchored their defensive line and kicked off the beginning of a legendary career.

Corrigall started by winning a Gruen Trophy in his first year for being the “most outstanding Canadian rookie” in the CFL’s Eastern conference.

Over the next decade, Corrigall’s name would be attached to a number of recognitions.

In 1975, he won the league’s most outstanding defensive player award. He was selected as an eastern conference all-star eight times and selected as a CFL all-star four times by the end of his career.

After retiring as a player, he remained as a line coach with the Argos for another year. He then went on to coach at various collegiate institutions, including a return to Kent State in the mid-1990s. As of 2020, Corrigall was reported to be coaching high school football in the Akron, Ohio area.

Corrigall’s name was etched in history well before his death.

After his collegiate career, Kent State retired his number 79 jersey in 1969. In 1997 the Argonauts recognized Corrigall as an “All-Time Argo.”

His name also lives on on the walls of the Barrie Sports Hall of Fame, the Kent State Hall of Fame and the CFL Hall of Fame.