Former WSU all-American wide receiver Gail Cogdill passed away on Thursday. He was 79 years old.
For those, like me, too young to have watched Cogdill, he was WSU's original great wide receiver, playing at a time when the forward pass was uncommon. He held the single-game NCAA record for receiving yards (252) for three years, and when he finished his NFL career in 1970, he was the Detroit Lions' record holder in career receiving yards until the record was broken in the 1990s.
If you’re so inclined, you can watch Cogdill’s record-setting performance against Northwestern. He’s No. 89 in white, and it’s narrated by another young Cougar legend, Keith Jackson:
"We have lost one of our true Cougar legends. Gail Cogdill was one of my childhood idols when he played for Washington State and the Detroit Lions," said WSU Director of Athletics Bill Moos via news release. "It was a thrill to get to know him over the past several years. Our thoughts are with his wife, Dian and his family."
Cogdill had been suffering from dementia; his brain and brain stem are being donated to Boston University for the concussion study, according to his family.
Our prayers are with his wife, Dian, and all of the Cogdill family. Go Cougs.