ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF
In an exclusive interview with argonauts.ca, Jim Stillwagon and Jim Corrigall discuss how the two defensive linemen were able to dominate in the 1970s:
It was the summer of 1970, the CNE Exhibition Stadium was getting ready for another year and Head Coach Leo Cahill, now three years into his first tenure with the Argos, had just picked up a Barrie, Ontario native fresh off a stint with the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL. A former second round pick of the ‘Cards, Jim Corrigall, showed up at Argonauts training camp ready to compete for a position in the linebacking corps.
An effervescent character with the size and quickness of a defensive end, Corrigall’s stay as a linebacker was short.
“He had spent his entire career as a linebacker until I moved him up along the defensive line”, said Cahill. “At first, he was so out of his element, he was unfamiliar with the three-point stance”.
Corrigall was one of the league’s best pass rushers, while Stillwagon was more of a pursuit guy. If the quarterback broke contain and got away from Corrigall, Stillwagon was always there to chase him or the receiver down. He could get down field pretty quickly for a defensive tackle 
.
– Former Coach Leo Cahill on the two ‘Jims’, Corrigall and Stillwagon
It didn’t take Corrigall long to get accustom to his new position, having what Cahill calls a “more than solid first season along the line”. In the first of his 11 seasons with the Argos, Corrigall gave many a taste of what a menace he could be at the rush end spot.
However, it wasn’t until the following year that Corrigall, DE Ed Harrington and the rest of the Argos defence hit their stride.
Enter DT Jim Stillwagon, a stalky but aggressive linemen from Mt. Vernon, Ohio. His impact was immediate and by 1972 the foursome of himself, Corrigall, Harrington and Granville Liggins formed one of the most dominant defensive lines of its time.
“He was a great player with an incredible work ethic”, said Corrigall of Stillwagon. “He made our line that much better and it was a privilege to play with him. We had a lot of fun during those years”.
By the time the 1974 season rolled around, many couldn’t ignore what Cahill had been envisioning for his d-line. It was a tandem that could eliminate double teams, stuff the interior gaps and put pressure on the quarterback all at the same time.
“They were both a lot alike but each of them brought one particular skill-set that was tops in the league”, said Cahill. “Corrigall was one of the league’s best pass rushers, while Stillwagon was more of a pursuit guy. If the quarterback broke contain and got away from Corrigall, Stillwagon was always there to chase him or the receiver down. He could get down field pretty quickly for a defensive tackle”.
By the mid-part of the decade the two were synonymous with one another, each with different responsibilities once the ball was snapped but with a similar will to win.
“I believe we had common characteristics of knowing where the ball was, anticipation and movement when going for the ball”, said Stillwagon who believes that the two played the position to help complement one another; Corrigall to help keep opposing rushers in the pocket for Stillwagon to make a stop, and Stillwagon to pressure the quarterback outside of his comfort zone and into the waiting arms of his defensive ally.
“We played different positions, with different responsibilities, but somehow it really came together. My position was to protect the middle against the run, put pressure on the offensive line and flush the quarterback out of the pocket. Jimmy’s was to contain the run to the inside to create pressure from the outside on the pass to collapse the quarterback in it”.
I remember seeing Jimmy in 2007 in Toronto for the All-Time Argos function and it brought back memories of some great times that we had together .
– Former DE Jim Corrigall on DT Jim Stillwagon
Stillwagon’s career ended much sooner than the defensive end to his side, finishing a short but remarkable 5-year career with the Double Blue. Corrigall’s career concluded in 1981, before he retired, to join the Argos’ coaching staff. Together, the two combined for 205 career games, 10 East Division All-Star nods and 7 CFL All-Star honours.
Brothers in battle on the field, Cahill stresses that the true measure of their character was their friendship off the field, “They spent a lot of time together away from football and were very good friends. I am not sure how close they are now but they were definitely close during their time as Argonauts”.
Corrigall, now residing in Ravenna, Ohio where he coaches university football, says that although they don’t speak to one another as much as they should, the two will always be mentioned in the same light together.
Remarked Corrigall, “I remember seeing Jimmy in 2007 in Toronto for the All-Time Argos function and it brought back memories of some great times that we had together”.
Stillwagon, who is a legend at Ohio State University and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, makes no hesitation when asked about the best players he ever played with in Double Blue, saying, “Liggins, Harrington and of course, Jim Corrigall”.
Stillwagon will be the 20th Argo inducted on to the All-Time Argos list this Friday versus the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.