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Class of 1977
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Walt Michaels
When the 1950 Washington & Lee football team became the first and last team ever to represent the University in a post-season bowl game, it was Led by fullback/line-backer and future All-Pro and NFL head coach Walt “Big Mike” Michaels.
The Generals finished the 1950 regular season at 8-2, and won W & L’s first Southern Conference title since 1934. Washington & Lee, under head coach George Barclay, completed their “now or never year” with a selection for the 1951 Gator Bowl game in Jacksonville, FL. A senior from Swoyerville, PA, Walt led the Generals to their eventual bowl bid that year by scoring ten touchdowns, and kicking 29 extra points. “Big Mike” carried the ball 119 times that season for 712 yards, a 6.0 average. Surprisingly, not one of those carries resulted in a loss of yardage. Michaels was the team leading rusher on a ball club that managed to gain 2995 rushing yards in ten games. Not only was Michaels a workhorse on offense, he was also a standout linebacker on a defense that allowed only 39 points in six conference games.
Michaels known as a player who loved contact. The 1950 Washington & Lee football press guide was quoted as saying, “Ushers will move the women and children from the front rows when Michaels is in action.” As a fullback, he received numerous 1950 honors. Michaels was named second team All Southern by United Press International, and third team All-Southern by Associated Press. He was also named Virginia’s Back of the Week in October of 1950, and was voted W & L’s Most Valuable Performer in the fall of 1949.
Michaels turned pro after college and, after starting his pro career with the Green Bay Packers, played linebacker for the Cleveland Browns from 1952 to 1961. Michaels was a 4-time All-Pro linebacker in his 10 seasons with Cleveland, during which time the Browns won 5 division titles and 2 world championships.
In 1962, Michaels began his pro coaching career with the Oakland Raiders. In 1963 a personal call from future Hall of Fame Coach Weeb Ewbank brought him to the New York Jets as defensive line coach and then defensive coordinator through 1972, the storied year the Jets won Super Bowl III. After 3 seasons (1973-75) as defensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, Michaels returned to the Jets prior to the 1976 season, and in November was named head coach.
Michaels became head coach of Donald Trump’s New Jersey Generals in the short-lived USFL (United States Football League) for the 1984-85 seasons, and then retired. To this day Walt Michaels is W & L’s first and only alum to serve as head coach in the NFL ranks.
(To Sports Inductees List) |
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