James J Spavital was an American gridiron football player, coach and executive in six different professional football leagues.
11 Facts About Jim Spavital
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Jim Spavital served as the head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League from 1970 to 1973 and as head coach of the Chicago Fire of the World Football League in 1974.
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Jim Spavital played for the All-America Football Conference's Los Angeles Dons in 1949 and the National Football League's Baltimore Colts during the 1950 season.
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Jim Spavital's reporting date prevented him from playing a full NFL season so he moved north of the border to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League enabling him to play a complete season prior to reporting for duty.
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Jim Spavital was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1951 NFL draft after the Baltimore Colts folded.
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In 1955, Jim Spavital joined the Oklahoma State coaching staff under coach Cliff Speegle.
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In 1974, Jim Spavital was hired as head coach of the Chicago Fire of the World Football League.
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In 1977 Jim Spavital returned to the CFL as an assistant coach with the Calgary Stampeders, rejoining a fellow assistant from Saskatchewan, Jack Gotta.
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Jim Spavital left the Roughriders after the season to join the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League.
10.
In 1989 Jim Spavital was hired by Bill Byrne and Hubie Byrne to help put together a new professional football league to begin play in the spring or summer of 1990.
11.
Jim Spavital was the director of football operations for the Professional Spring Football League for two years before plans for the league were abandoned.