Walter Joseph Kowalczyk (April 17, 1935 – November 7, 2018) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

and fullback in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

for the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

. He also played in the

American Football League The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. ...

for the

Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...

. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

Early years

Kowalczyk attended

Westfield High School Westfield High School may refer to: * The Westfield School, Perry, Georgia * Westfield High School (Westfield, Indiana) * Westfield High School (Massachusetts), Westfield, Massachusetts * Westfield Technical Academy, Westfield, Massachusetts * West ...

, where he earned four letters in football and baseball, three in basketball and two in track. In football and baseball he was named to the All-state team twice. He won the state 100-yard dash title twice. As a senior, he received the Harry Agganis Award as the best high school athlete in New England. He accepted a scholarship from

, where he became a three-year starter at right halfback. As a sophomore, he was given the nickname "The Sprinting Blacksmith", after his efforts helped his team defeat

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

in the 1956 Rose Bowl. He recorded 584 yards and 6 touchdowns in the season. As a junior, he was limited with a serious ankle sprain he suffered during fall practice and only registered 128 yards and 2 touchdowns. In 1957, he posted 545 rushing yards (5.4 yards average), 9 touchdowns (led the Big Ten Conference) and 7 receptions for 128 yards. He placed third in the

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

voting, the highest place ever by a Michigan State player. He finished his career with 1,257 rushing yards on 225 carries, 16 touchdowns, 10 receptions for 187 yards and one touchdown.

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Kowalczyk was selected in the first round (6th overall) of the

1958 NFL Draft The 1958 National Football League draft had its first four rounds held on December 2, 1957, and its final twenty-six rounds on January 28, 1958. Both sessions were held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia. This was the 12th and final year in ...

by the

. He was a backup

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...

behind

Clarence Peaks Clarence Earl Peaks (September 23, 1935 – March 31, 2007) was a professional American football fullback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Michigan Stat ...

and

Billy Ray Barnes Billy Ray Barnes (born May 14, 1935) is an American former professional football player who was a halfback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He was a three-time Pro Bowl select ...

. He also was a backup

behind

Tom Brookshier Thomas Jefferson Brookshier (December 16, 1931 – January 29, 2010) was an American professional football player, coach, and sportscaster. He was a starting defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) for sev ...

and Eddie Bell. On July 24,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

, he was traded to the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

in exchange for

Jerry Reichow Garet Neal Reichow (born May 19, 1934) is a former professional American football player. A , 220 lb tight end from the University of Iowa, Reichow was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the fourth round of the 1956 NFL Draft. He was one of ...

Dallas Cowboys

Kowalczyk spent six weeks with the

in training camp, before his rights were sold to the

. Although he initially refused to report to the team, he changed his mind after commissioner

Pete Rozelle Alvin Ray "Pete" Rozelle (; March 1, 1926 – December 6, 1996) was an American businessman and executive. Rozelle served as the commissioner of the National Football League (NFL) for nearly thirty years, from January 1960 until his retirement i ...

threatened to fine him. Although he was considered light for the position, he became the first starting fullback in franchise history (7 starts), while sharing playing time with

Gene Babb Gene Walter Babb (December 27, 1934 – December 2, 2018) is a former American football fullback and linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. He also was a member of the Houston Oilers in t ...

(5 starts). He finished with 50 carries for 156 yards (third on the team) and 14 receptions for 143 yards (fifth on the team). He was waived in on September 12,

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

Oakland Raiders

On September 19,

, he was signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

by the

of the

. He retired after four games.

Personal life

Kowalczyk became a teacher at

. He was a member of The Pigskin Club of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll. He lived in the

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

area, and spent his post-football years active in community activities (such as volunteering his time teaching Drivers Training classes). Kowalczyk died on November 7, 2018 at the age of 83.

References

External links

MSU's top 50 football players: No. 38 Walt Kowalczyk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kowalczyk, Walt 1935 births 2018 deaths American football defensive backs American football fullbacks American Football League players Dallas Cowboys players Michigan State Spartans football players Oakland Raiders players Philadelphia Eagles players All-American college football players Michigan State University faculty People from Westfield, Massachusetts Players of American football from Massachusetts American people of Polish descent