Beaver Falls Native and architect of Robert Morris’ football program, Joe Walton passed away on Sunday. He was 85.
While known for his coaching later in his career, Walton as a stand out player at both Beaver Falls High School and the University of Pittsburgh, where he was named an All-American twice.
Walton then played tight end for both Washington and the New York Giants between 1957 and 1964.
He then coached for the Giants and Washington and Jets between 1965 through 1982.
In 1983, Walton was hired at the Jets’ head coach and took New York to two playoff appearances over seven seasons.
Walton then became the Steelers offensive coordinator in 1990, but his tenure in Pittsburgh was short-lived.
Quarterback Bubby Brister complained that Walton’s playbook was too complicated, but Walton told 93.7 The Fan’s Ron Cook that it was the same playbook he had been using for years.
While his time with the Steelers didn’t work out, Walton became Robert Morris’ first-ever head coach in program history in 1993, taking “64 freshmen at a school that never had football in its 73 years of existence and posted a 7-1-1 (.833) record, 13 months after being named RMU's first head coach,” the university said in a release.
Walton built the Colonials program from the ground up, hiring assistant coaches, recruiting players and even buying football equipment.
Leading the Colonials for 20 years between 1994-2013, Walton led RMU to six NEC championships (three of those won outright).
"The first time I heard former student-athletes talk about Coach Walton, not one mentioned how good a football player he made them,” said current RMU head coach Bernard Clark, Jr. “They all spoke about the men he helped them become. That is the sign of a great teacher. We're sorry to learn of his passing, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
Robert Morris’ first championship came in 1996, and Walton coached the Colonials to a perfect 10-0 season in both 2000 and 2010.
In 2005, RMU opened Joe Walton Stadium, winning their first game at the field with a 49-13 win over Butler.
"Patriarch, architect, mentor, friend: those are just some of the terms that come to mind when I think of Coach Joe Walton,” said Voice of the Colonials Chris Shovlin. “He didn't just build a football program from scratch. He changed the lives of everyone who came in contact with him, molding players into men of character and positively impacting the entire RMU community. In our last conversation just a few months ago, I told him, just like I tell everyone, Joe Walton made me a better play-by-play announcer, and being around him all these years made me a better person."
Walton’s overall record at RMU was 114-92-1 and was named the NEC Coach of the Year four times during his tenure.
Walton’s first wife, Ginger, passed away in 2007 after 47 years of marriage and is survived by his three children, six grandchildren and his second wife Patty.
Read more about Walton here.