Bobby Walston

Robert Harold Walston (October 17, 1928 – October 7, 1987) was an American football wide receiver and placekicker in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Georgia and was drafted in the 14th round of the 1951 NFL Draft. From 1966 to 1967, he coached receivers and kickers for the Miami Dolphins.

Bobby Walston
Walston on a 1952 Bowman football card
No. 83
Position:End
Placekicker
Personal information
Born:(1928-10-17)October 17, 1928
Columbus, Ohio
Died:October 7, 1987(1987-10-07) (aged 58)
Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
College:Georgia
NFL Draft:1951 / Round: 14 / Pick: 166
Career history
As player:
As coach:
As administrator:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:148
Field Goals Attempted:157
Field Goals Made:80
Receiving Touchdowns:46
Receiving Yards:5,363
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Professional career

Walston doubled as receiver and kicker for the Eagles for 12 seasons. His best receiving season was in 1954, when he caught 41 passes for 750 yards, garnering 18.3 yards per reception, scoring five touchdowns. The next season, he would have only 581 yards on 31 receptions, but he scored 11 touchdowns as the Eagles once again went 7-4-1. He also scored 114 points during the season, the most in the NFL that season and most by an Eagle until 1984. His best kicking season was in 1957, when he made 75% of his field goals and was 1st in percentage in the league, with 9 of 12 field goals made. Despite this, his Eagles went 4-8. But three seasons later, they had made a resurgence in 1960, and Walston went 14 out of 20 in field goal kicking (70 percent) and was first in the league once again, with 39 out of 40 in extra points as the Eagles made their first playoff appearance since 1949. In his lone playoff appearance, he caught 3 passes for 38 yards while making a 17-yard field goal and two extra points as the Eagles won the 1960 NFL Championship Game, their first title since 1949. In his final season, the Eagles finished 3-10-1. He caught four touchdowns that seasons, his most since 1954, although his kicking game declined, as he had his second worst kicking percentage. Even after over 50 years, he still holds the all-time Eagles record for points scored, with 881.

Career statistics

FG = Field Goal; XP = Extra Point.

YearTeamFG MadeFG AttemptsFG PercentageXP MadeXP AttemptsTouchdownsTotal Points
1951PHI61154.52831894
1952PHI112055.03131382
1953PHI41330.84548587
1954PHI41040.0363911114
1955PHI2366.767330
1956PHI61346.21718353
1957PHI912752021153
1958PHI61442.93131367
1959PHI0103334351
1960PHI142070.039402105
1961PHI142556.04346097
1962PHI41526.73638448
Total8015751.036538446881

Coaching and administrative career

After working in the front office with the Eagles for a few years, he became the special teams coach of the Miami Dolphins for their inaugural 1966 season and the 1967 season. He also served as a personnel director for the Chicago Bears from 1968-1975, overseeing the drafting of college players along with scouting, and being an assistant to Bears president George Halas, Jr. He resigned on December 7, 1974, after Jim Finks became general manager.[1] He later served as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, from 1978-1980 and scouted for the United States Football League from 1983-1985. Walston is one of only four players named to the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team not yet inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Walston died just 10 days before his 59th birthday, on October 7, 1987 at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village.[2] Twenty-seven years after his death, he was named to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame on September 22, 2019.[3]

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References
  1. Strauss, Michael (December 7, 1974). "People in Sports". The New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  2. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1987-10-08/news/8703150980_1_bears-general-manager-mr-walston-personnel-director
  3. "Bobby Walston to be inducted into Eagles Hall of Fame on Fantennial Weekend". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 8, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
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