Former Argo Stillwagon suspected of injuring driver in road rage shooting

DELAWARE, Ohio – Former Toronto Argonauts star Jim Stillwagon is suspected of shooting and injuring a man in a road rage incident that spanned about 22 kilometres, police said Monday.

Police say Stillwagon, a former standout defensive lineman at Ohio State who spurned the NFL to sign with Toronto in 1971, fired a handgun at a pickup truck driver while riding a motorcycle Sunday north of Columbus. They say the vehicles then pulled into a parking area in Delaware and Stillwagon struck the other driver with the gun, causing it to fire a bullet that grazed the man’s head.

Stillwagon, 63, was jailed on a felonious assault charge, with bond set at US$350,000.

There was no indication Stillwagon knew the injured man. The 41-year-old victim was treated at a hospital and checked himself out Sunday night said Bruce Pijanowski, the interim police chief in Delaware.

“Considering the circumstances, he’s extremely lucky,” Pijanowski said. “He had probably just superficial injuries, and it could have been a lot worse.”

Stillwagon had a permit and was legally carrying the gun, Pijanowski said.

Stillwagon was drafted in the fifth round, 124th overall, by Green Bay in the 1971 NFL draft but signed with Toronto instead. During his five CFL seasons, Stillwagon was a three-time all-star and in ’71 was a runner-up for the league’s top defensive player award.

Last month, the Toronto club added Stillwagon to its list of All-Time Argos.

Stillwagon was brought to the Argos by former head coach and GM Leo Cahill after a stellar college career. Stillwagon combined with Canadian Jim, Corrigall to create one of the toughest defensive lines in the CFL in the 1970s.

A two-time All-American, Stillwagon was inducted into the U.S. College Football Hall of Fame in 1991.

Stillwagon was a three-year starter at Ohio State and captured the Outland Trophy as U.S. college football’s top lineman while being named the first-ever winner of the Lombardi Award. Stillwagon was one of the so-called Super Sophomores of 1968 who helped the Buckeyes go undefeated and claim the American university football national championship.

Stillwagon finished his college career with a record of 27-2.

Court records didn’t list an lawyer for Stillwagon. A message was left at his home.

— With files from The Associated Press