'Terrible Ted' Lindsay was tireless champion of autism support

(FOX 2) - "Ted was a fighter for injustice," said Bill Roose.

Even though his nickname was "Terrible Ted" because of his fierce playing style, Ted Lindsay was anything but terrible off the ice.
  
Bill Roose was a beat writer for the Detroit Red Wings and he literally wrote the book on Ted Lindsay.  

"When he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1966, he refused to go because they wouldn't allow his wife and daughters to go because it was a men's only event," Roose said. "Ted didn't go. What happened the next year? The rules changed and women were allowed to go."

Then there was the foundation he started to help people with autism.  

"A friend of his came up and said 'Hey my son has autism what can we do?' Ted said 'We can raise money,'" Roose said.

And he did. The Joanne and Ted Lindsay Foundation Autism Outreach Services which has helped so many at Oakland University.  
   
FOX 2 had the chance to talk to Lindsay in November about the million-dollar donation he made to the university.  

"Really, million dollar sounds like a lot of money but when you're talking families, a dollar a family is that a million families that are affected? I don't worry about that," he said. "The families that are being affected we've got to find out what's causing the epidemic and take care of that problem."

Who benefits? Young men like Jay Malafa, who is living with autism.  He is part of Oakland's OU Cares Initiative helping people worn autism get ready for the workforce. 

"If it weren't for him, this program wouldn't exist and chances are a lot of us wouldn't even be able to find jobs," Malafa said.

"He was always a man who saw potential in individuals and in people with autism and that's one of the things that should be so celebrated about Ted Lindsey and his legacy. 

"He always wanted to know more, he always wanted to meet the families," said Kristen Rohrbeck. "He really he wanted to understand about what our programs are about, and just know what it is that he was investing in and his foundation was investing in. " 

Ted Lindsay's legacy off the ice served as an example, a reminder that all the trophies and money you make, mean little without the greatness you show to the community you were a part of.  

Take it from Michael Rosingana, a neighbor of the Lindsays.  Halloween serving as a sweet reminder of his kindness.  

"Him and his wife would always give us the biggest bags of candy ever," he said. "They were just really nice people."

| Web extra: To learn more about Bill Roose's book on Ted Lindsay, click here.