University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt Football Great Joe Walton Passes Away
8/16/2021 12:00:00 PM | Football
The University of Pittsburgh mourns the loss of one of its all-time football greats, Joe Walton, who has passed away at the age of 85.
Walton, a native of Beaver Falls, Pa., starred for the Panthers at the end position from 1954-56. He earned first team All-America honors as a senior after leading Pitt in receiving for the second consecutive season.
Walton distinguished himself with exceptional route running and also was a strong blocker in the run game. Playing under Coach John Michelosen his final two years, Walton helped the Panthers to the Jan. 2, 1956 Sugar Bowl and Dec. 29, 1956 Gator Bowl. He captained the team as a senior.
In an era when the game was far more ground oriented, Walton compiled 16 receptions for 241 yards and a then-school record eight touchdowns as a junior. During his All-America senior year, he 21 catches for 360 yards and six scores.
In addition to national accolades as a player, Walton also earned Academic All-America honors in 1956.
Walton played in the prestigious College All-Star Game in 1957. He was selected in the second round of the 1957 NFL Draft by Washington, where played the next four seasons. Walton then played with the New York Giants from 1961-63.
Following his retirement as a player, Walton served as a scout and then wide receivers coach for the Giants. It would serve as the springboard to a nearly five-decade coaching career, including tenures as head coach of the New York Jets (1983-89) and offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1990-91).
While his NFL coaching career was lengthy and impressive, perhaps his finest work was as head coach at Robert Morris University, where in 1994 he launched a program from scratch and over a 20-year tenure led the Colonials to six Northeast Conference (NEC) championships, two ECAC Bowl victories and two NCAA I-AA mid-major national titles per Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette.
In 2010, Robert Morris earned a berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, the first in school and NEC history.
In 2017, Walton was asked by Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi to serve as an honorary captain for the Panthers' game against Rice, a 42-10 Pitt victory at Heinz Field.
"On behalf of the Pitt football program, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and many loved ones of Coach Joe Walton," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "Coach Walton embodied the type of excellence we want our student-athletes to strive for every day.
"At Pitt, he was not only an All-American on the field but also an Academic All-American in the classroom. As a coach, he was a true teacher of the game, both in the NFL and at Robert Morris. He leaves an unforgettable legacy as a player, coach and man."
Walton and his late wife Ginger had three children (daughters Jodi and Stacy and son Joe) and six grandchildren. He is survived by his second wife, Patty Sheehan Walton.
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Walton, a native of Beaver Falls, Pa., starred for the Panthers at the end position from 1954-56. He earned first team All-America honors as a senior after leading Pitt in receiving for the second consecutive season.
Walton distinguished himself with exceptional route running and also was a strong blocker in the run game. Playing under Coach John Michelosen his final two years, Walton helped the Panthers to the Jan. 2, 1956 Sugar Bowl and Dec. 29, 1956 Gator Bowl. He captained the team as a senior.
In an era when the game was far more ground oriented, Walton compiled 16 receptions for 241 yards and a then-school record eight touchdowns as a junior. During his All-America senior year, he 21 catches for 360 yards and six scores.
In addition to national accolades as a player, Walton also earned Academic All-America honors in 1956.
Walton played in the prestigious College All-Star Game in 1957. He was selected in the second round of the 1957 NFL Draft by Washington, where played the next four seasons. Walton then played with the New York Giants from 1961-63.
Following his retirement as a player, Walton served as a scout and then wide receivers coach for the Giants. It would serve as the springboard to a nearly five-decade coaching career, including tenures as head coach of the New York Jets (1983-89) and offensive coordinator of the Pittsburgh Steelers (1990-91).
While his NFL coaching career was lengthy and impressive, perhaps his finest work was as head coach at Robert Morris University, where in 1994 he launched a program from scratch and over a 20-year tenure led the Colonials to six Northeast Conference (NEC) championships, two ECAC Bowl victories and two NCAA I-AA mid-major national titles per Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette.
In 2010, Robert Morris earned a berth in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs, the first in school and NEC history.
In 2017, Walton was asked by Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi to serve as an honorary captain for the Panthers' game against Rice, a 42-10 Pitt victory at Heinz Field.
"On behalf of the Pitt football program, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and many loved ones of Coach Joe Walton," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "Coach Walton embodied the type of excellence we want our student-athletes to strive for every day.
"At Pitt, he was not only an All-American on the field but also an Academic All-American in the classroom. As a coach, he was a true teacher of the game, both in the NFL and at Robert Morris. He leaves an unforgettable legacy as a player, coach and man."
Walton and his late wife Ginger had three children (daughters Jodi and Stacy and son Joe) and six grandchildren. He is survived by his second wife, Patty Sheehan Walton.
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