Joe Tofflemire
No. 56 | |||||||
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Position: | Center | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | July 7, 1965||||||
Died: | September 27, 2011 Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S. | (aged 46)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 273 lb (124 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Post Falls (ID) | ||||||
College: | University of Arizona | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1989 / Round: 2 / Pick: 44 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Joseph Salvatore Tofflemire (July 7, 1965 – September 27, 2011) was a
High school
Tofflemire was a 1984 graduate of
Tofflemire was a standout in
Highly recruited by many Division I teams, Tofflemire accepted a full-ride scholarship to the University of Arizona in Tucson.
In addition to being a standout lineman, he was also an All Intermountain League First-team
College
Tofflemire was a 1989 graduate of the
Tofflemire is one of the most decorated lineman in Arizona football history, and one of the most decorated in Pac-10 history. He was inducted into the University of Arizona Hall of Fame in 1994, named to the Wildcat Stadium Ring of Honor in 1997, and is ranked as the #7 all time player in Arizona football history.
NFL
Tofflemire was selected in the second round of the
Personal life
Born in Los Angeles, Tofflemire grew up in Post Falls, Idaho, as one of eight siblings born to John and Anna Tofflemire. He had two sons: Michael, who played football at Weber State, and Johnny.[11]
Death
Tofflemire died in 2011 at age 46 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, after being found unconscious and unresponsive in his Post Falls home.[2] According to his brother Paul, the cause of death was heart failure.[12] Also according to Paul, Joe was never healthy again after being in the NFL after having many surgeries and complications from his injuries sustained while playing.
Tofflemire injured a shoulder at Arizona that suffered further pounding in the pros. There would be nine surgeries for that, over time, including a replacement. Four screws were implanted to keep his spine in place. Concussions, not remotely the red flag they are now, were sustained and likely unreported.
"These things impacted the rest of his life," Paul Tofflemire said. "He was always in pain. He couldn't be active and his weight was up to 300 pounds [140 kg] plus. The sad thing was watching him get out of bed. I felt so bad – this guy was so active and agile when he was younger and he was like a crippled old man."[13]
References
- ^ a b Weaver, Dan (April 24, 1989). "Post Falls' Tofflemire center of attention in Seattle". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C1.
- ^ a b Blanchette, John (September 29, 2011). "Post Falls' Tofflemire, ex-Seahawk, dies". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ Walker, Brian (2011-09-29). "Feared in football; humble at home Ex-Post Falls, Arizona, Seahawks player Tofflemire remembered". Retrieved 2011-09-29.
- ^ a b c Boling, Dave (August 29, 1988). "Tofflemire center of attention". Spokane Chronicle. (Washington). p. C3.
- ^ Cole, Gary. "1988 Playboy All-American Team". Archived from the original on 2013-03-02. Retrieved 2014-04-06.
- ^ Cole, Gary. "Playboy All American Teams".
- ^ Gimino, Anthony (2013-09-01). "Top 50 football players in Arizona Wildcats history, No. 7: Center Joe Tofflemire, 1985-88". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved 2013-09-01.
- ^ "1988 Morris Trophy Winner Joe Tofflemire".
- ^ "1989 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ Cour, Jim (May 17, 1989). "Seahawks' Tofflemire knows he has to disprove doubters". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. p. 2B.
- ^ Gimino, Anthony (2011-09-28). "Updated: Remembering Wildcat star Joe Tofflemire, dead at 46: 'One of the good guys'". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved 2011-09-28.
- ^ Boling, Dave (2011-10-09). "The toll of hard knocks". The News Tribune. (Tacoma, Washington). Archived from the original on 2011-10-18. Retrieved 2012-07-09.
- ^ Blanchette, John (October 1, 2011). "Blanchette: Give Tofflemire thought on Sunday". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Retrieved July 4, 2019.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Obituary
- Joe Tofflemire at Find a Grave