Joe Walton, the erstwhile New York Jets manager who built Robert Morris University's shot programme from the crushed up, has died. He was 85.
Robert Morris announced in an obituary posted connected its website that Walton died Sunday. No origin of decease was provided.
Walton, a autochthonal of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania — the hometown of Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath — coached the Jets for 7 years and went 53-57-1 portion starring New York to the playoffs twice.
A erstwhile NFL choky extremity for Washington and the Giants, Walton caught 178 passes for 2,628 yards and 28 touchdowns successful 7 seasons. He retired from playing aft the 1963 play and joined the Giants arsenic a scout 2 years later. Walton was promoted to wide receivers manager successful 1969, a relation helium would service for 5 years earlier going to Washington arsenic the moving backs coach.
Walton became Washington's violative coordinator successful 1978 and moved to the Jets successful the aforesaid relation successful 1981. He replaced Walt Michaels arsenic the Jets' caput manager successful 1983 and had 1 of the much palmy coaching runs for the franchise with the 2 playoff runs, but helium was fired aft a 4-12 play successful 1989.
"Joe Walton poured his bosom into this franchise for 9 seasons," the Jets said successful a statement.
"Joining america arsenic an violative coordinator earlier taking implicit arsenic the caput coach, Joe fielded immoderate of the franchise's astir productive offenses and helped the teams to 4 playoff appearances during his tenure.
"He was a bully antheral who cared for his players and loved the crippled of football."
Walton closed retired his NFL coaching vocation successful Pittsburgh, wherever helium served arsenic the Steelers' violative coordinator for 2 years.
Among the quarterbacks Walton worked with during his NFL vocation were Joe Theismann, Fran Tarkenton, Norm Snead, Ken O'Brien and Richard Todd.
In 1993, Walton was hired arsenic the archetypal manager successful Robert Morris past and built the programme by recruiting players, hiring assistants and adjacent buying instrumentality for the squad to play successful its archetypal play successful 1994.
It was the opening of a 20-year tally during which the Colonials won outright Northeast Conference championships 3 times — successful 1997, '99 and 2000 — and shared 3 others — 1996, '98 and 2010. Walton besides led Robert Morris to consecutive ECAC Bowl victories successful 1996 and '97.
Walton finished 114-92-1 astatine the school, was a four-time league manager of the twelvemonth and is 1 of conscionable a fewer men to triumph 50 games arsenic a caput manager successful some the NFL and college. He was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame successful 2013. The shot stadium is besides named aft him.
"Coach Walton took our shot programme from thing to thing special," Robert Morris elder subordinate diversion manager Marty Galosi said successful a statement.
"The information that helium built it from scratch and won aboriginal connected was a bonus. He was a large coach, but helium was a amended antheral arsenic good arsenic a relation exemplary for each of the student-athletes and coaches that were nether his tutelage. His bequest astatine RMU volition past a agelong time."
The lad of erstwhile Washington defender Frank 'Tiger' Walton, Joe Walton was an All-America enactment astatine choky extremity doubly astatine the University of Pittsburgh earlier being drafted by Washington successful the 2nd circular successful 1957.
Walton, who moved backmost to Beaver Falls successful 1990, was joined for 47 years earlier woman Ginger died successful 2007. They had 3 children — daughters Jodi and Stacy, and lad Joe — and six grandchildren. Walton besides is survived by his 2nd wife, Patty Sheehan Walton.
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