Tony Proudfoot - Illness and Death

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 Sclerosis (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 Alouettes' head coach, Marc Trestman during the 2009 and 2010 CFL seasons, which were both Grey Cup winning seasons for the team. He was given 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 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 28 December 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. Following his death, his brain was donated to research in sports-related brain damage. His brain, unlike others, showed no evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.