Bobby Walston

Bobby Walston

Walston on a 1952 Bowman football card
No. 83
Positions	End, placekicker
Personal information
Born	(1928-10-17)October 17, 1928 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 7, 1987(1987-10-07) (aged 58) Elk Grove Village, Illinois, U.S.
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school	Linden-McKinley (Columbus, Ohio)
College	Georgia
NFL draft	1951: 14th round, 166th overall pick
Career history
Playing
Philadelphia Eagles (1951–1962)
Coaching
Miami Dolphins (1966–1967) Receivers and kicking coach
Operations
Chicago Bears (1968–1974) Director of player personnel Edmonton Eskimos (1978–1980) Scout United States Football League (1983–1985) Scout
Awards and highlights
NFL champion (1960) 2× Pro Bowl (1960-1961) NFL scoring leader (1954) NFL 1950s All-Decade Team Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2014) Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame 2× Second-team All-SEC (1949, 1950)
Career NFL statistics
Field goals made 80 Field goal attempts 157 Field goal % 51 Receptions 311 Receiving yards 5,363 Receiving touchdowns 46 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Robert Harold Walston (October 17, 1928 – October 7, 1987) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver and placekicker for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and was selected in the 14th round of the 1951 NFL draft. Hed led the NFL in scoring in 1954, and in field goal percentage in 1957. He was a member of the 1960 Eagles NFL championship team. At the time he retired in 1962, only Lou Groza had more points in NFL history. In 2019, he became a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame. He was twice named second-team All-SEC. From 1966 to 1967, he coached receivers and kickers for the Miami Dolphins.

Early life

Walston was born on October 17, 1928, in Columbus, Ohio.^[1] He attended Linden-McKinley High School in Columbus.^[2] He played on the school's football team, and was All-State at halfback.^[3]

College career

Walston attended the University of Georgia, where he played football for the Bulldogs. He played halfback, wide receiver and kicker for Georgia, in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).^[4][5] As a freshman in 1947, he played halfback. Walston had 35 yards rushing on eight carries, and three receptions for 108 yards; with two of those receptions going for touchdowns.^[6] He had a 50-yard touchdown reception from Johnny Rauch in a late-October game against Clemson,^[7] and a 30 to 32-yard touchdown reception against Oklahoma A & M in mid-October.^[8][9][10]

In 1948, Walston caught 25 passes for 525 yards, scoring four touchdowns. He led the SEC in pass receptions, and was 13th nationally in most receptions.^[3][11] He had a 19-yard touchdown reception in a 35–0 win over Alabama in late October;^[12] a 28-yard touchdown pass against Furman in a 33–0 win;^[13] and a 44-yard touchdown pass for the first touchdown of the game in a 42–14 win over Auburn.^[14] Georgia was the SEC champion in 1948, and had a 9–2 record.^[15] The Associated Press (AP) ranked Georgia No. 8 that year.^[16] Georgia lost to Texas in the January 1, 1949 Orange Bowl, 41–28. Walston had multiple receptions in the game, including one for a touchdown.^[17] He made the All-SEC sophomore team.^[18]

As a junior in 1949, Walston had 17 receptions for 382 yards. He missed the season's last two games with a broken foot, but still had the fifth most receptions in the SEC. After three years, he had 45 receptions for 1,015 yards (averaging 22.3 yards per reception); and had scored 10 touchdowns and kicked 14 extra points over that time.^[3] The Associated Press and United Press named Walston second-team All-SEC at end in 1949.^[19][20]

In 1950, he had 12 receptions for 168 yards and one touchdown; second on the team to Zippy Morocco.^[21] The International News Service (INS) named Walston second-team All-SEC in 1950.^[22] Over his four year career at Georgia, Walston had 57 receptions for 1,183 yards, and 11 touchdowns.

After the 1952 NFL season ended, Walston returned to Georgia to obtain his degree, and helped coach the Bulldogs' spring practice.^[23]

Professional career

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Walston in the 14th round of the 1951 NFL draft, 166th overall.^[24] Walston doubled as receiver and kicker for the Philadelphia Eagles for twelve seasons.^[1] As a rookie in 1951 he started all 12 Eagles' games. He had 31 receptions for 512 yards, and led the Eagles with eight touchdowns.^[25] He was tied for third in the NFL for most receiving touchdowns, and tied for seventh in yards per reception (16.5).^[26] Walston also served as the team's kicker, making six of 11 field goal attempts, and 28 or 31 extra point attempts.^[25] He led the Eagles in scoring (94 points), and was fourth in the NFL in scoring.^[25][26] His best game of the season was on October 21 against the New York Giants, when he had six receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns, plus a field goal and three extra points; scoring 18 points.^[27][28]

In 1952, he started nine games, with 26 receptions for 469 yards and three touchdowns. He kicked eleven field goals and was a perfect 31-for-31 on extra point attempts; totaling 82 points on the season,^[29] sixth most in the NFL.^[30] In a late November game against the Cleveland Browns, he caught four passes for 121 yards with one touchdown; including a 65-yard reception on a pass from halfback Fred Enke, and four extra point conversions.^[31][32]

His best receiving season was in 1953, when he caught 41 passes for 750 yards, garnering 18.3 yards per reception, scoring five touchdowns.^[1] He made only four of 13 field goal attempts, and was 45 for 48 on extra points.^[33] He was fourth in the NFL in scoring (87 points).^[34] The Eagles finished the season 7–4–1, second in the NFL East Division.^[33] He had three games with over 100 yards receiving that season.^[35] His best was on November 8 against the New York Giants when he had eight receptions for 176 yards and two touchdowns, plus a field goal and three extra points. This included a 62-yard touchdown reception from Bobby Thomason who passed for 437 yards in that game.^[36][37]

The next season (1954), Walston had 581 yards on 31 receptions, but he scored 11 touchdowns as the Eagles once again went 7-4-1.^[38] On October 3, he had three touchdown catches on five receptions, 110 receiving yards and five extra point conversions (23 points in total) against the Chicago Cardinals.^[39] He made four field goals and 36 extra points, scoring a total of 114 points during that 12-game season, the most in the NFL that year.^[38][40] Walston's 114 points were the most by an Eagle in a single season until his record was broken in 1984 by kicker Paul McFadden (116 points), during a 16-game season.^[41][42] His 114 points in now 20th all-time for an Eagles' season, but all of the 19 players ahead of him played in 16 or 17 game seasons (as of 2025).^[43]

In 1955, Walston had 27 receptions for 443 yards and three touchdowns. He was replaced by Dick Bielski as the team's primary kicker, but still made two of three field goal attempts and six of seven extra point attempts.^[44] In 1956, Walston led the Eagles with 39 receptions (tied for sixth best in the NFL) for 590 yards and three touchdowns. He became the team's primary kicker again, and made six field goals and 17 extra points.^[45][46]

In 1957, although he started all 12 games, Walston had only 11 receptions for 266 yards.^[47] He did make nine field goals in 12 attempts, the best field goal kicking percentage of his career; and was 20 for 21 in extra point attempts.^[1] He led the NFL in field goal percentage.^[48] The Eagles were 4–8 that second, one game out of last place in the East Division.^[49]

Three seasons later, however, the Eagles had a resurgence in the 1960 season, 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 three 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 season, his most since 1954, although his kicking game declined, as he had his second worst kicking percentage.

Walston scored 881 points in his career,^[1] and at the time of his retirement had scored more points in the NFL than anyone other than Lou Groza (1,161).^[50] He retained the Eagles franchise points record until it was broken by kicker David Akers in 2007.^[51] He ranks third all-time on the Eagles in points scored, behind Akers and Jake Elliot.^[52]

Walston ranks second on the Eagles all-time in extra points made (365), behind only David Akers; and seventh all-time for the Eagles in made field goals (as of 2025).^[53] He ranks eighth all-time as an Eagles receiver in receptions (311) and yards receiving (5,363) (as of 2025).^[54] At the time he retired in 1962, he was 11th all-time in NFL history in receptions (311),^[55] receiving yards (5,363),^[56] and yards per reception (17.2).^[57]

Legacy and honors

As a receiver, at 6 ft (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg), Walston was smaller than the defensive players he would typically line up against. His Eagles' coach Buck Shaw said, "'He's not really big enough to do the job . . . But he'll do it anyway. He'll bite and scratch and fight at every turn, and he'll get it done'".^[41] His Eagles' teammates witnessed Walston play despite serious injuries (including a broken jaw), and future Hall of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin^[58] said of Walston "'He'll play until he's 60'".^[41] When he successfully fended off the challenge of faster receivers to remain a starter at Georgia in 1950, Georgia coach Wallace Butts said "'Bob has that important ability of getting open for a pass under any conditions . . . We have faster flankmen but none can fake his way clear for a pass as good as Walston'".^[3]

Twenty-seven years after his death, in 2014, he was named to the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.^[59] He was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame on September 22, 2019.^[60]

NFL career statistics

Coaching and administrative career

After his playing career ended, Walston worked for the Eagles as a scout.^[41] After working in the front office with the Eagles for a few years, he became the receivers and special teams coach of the Miami Dolphins for their inaugural 1966 season and the 1967 season.^[41] He also served as a personnel director for the Chicago Bears from 1968 to 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.^[61] He later returned to the Bears as a scout.^[41] He later served as a scout for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League, from 1978 to 1980 and scouted for the United States Football League from 1983 to 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.^[62]

Personal life and death

After his career, Walston worked as a deputy sheriff in Tattnall County, Georgia, and as athletic director of the Georgia State Prison. He also was certified as a deep sea diver, and established and operated fitness centers in New Jersey.^[41] Walston died of a heart attack at age 58, on October 7, 1987, at Alexian Brothers Medical Center, Elk Grove Village.^[62][41]

References

External links

• NY Times
• Bobby Walston at Find a Grave
• Baseball Reference