Tight End
No. 80
Pittsburgh
"A tight end who blocks as fiercely as a tackle, Joe Walton gives New York a dual threat at the vital flank position.
He was a Giant first-timer in 1961 - coming from the Redskins - and compiled his best offensive mark, catching 36 passes for 544 yards.
Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, he comes a fine football family - his father Frank was a Redskin 14 years and his brother Frank was a Steeler."
-Don Schiffer, 1962 Pro Football Handbook
"Joe was acquired from the Redskins in July of 1961. He's a top-notch pass receiver."
-1962 Topps No. 103
No. 80
Pittsburgh
"A tight end who blocks as fiercely as a tackle, Joe Walton gives New York a dual threat at the vital flank position.
He was a Giant first-timer in 1961 - coming from the Redskins - and compiled his best offensive mark, catching 36 passes for 544 yards.
Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, he comes a fine football family - his father Frank was a Redskin 14 years and his brother Frank was a Steeler."
-Don Schiffer, 1962 Pro Football Handbook
"Joe was acquired from the Redskins in July of 1961. He's a top-notch pass receiver."
-1962 Topps No. 103
"In his quiet, efficient way, Joe Walton (80) does a whale of a job for the Giants at the tight end spot. Although the black-haired Pitt graduate is not particularly big at 205 pounds, he blocks tellingly. And, although he's no speed demon, he has the knack of breaking clear for key catches.
The Giants got Joe from the Redskins before the 1961 season."
-1962 New York Giants Official Program (Yankee Stadium)
A PLAYER WHO DOES EVERYTHING
Giant End Joe Walton Isn't Very Big Or Very Fast
'Future football historians may well overlook the contributions of Joseph Frank Walton to the New York Giants' cause. Joe does not attract great attention, nor does he stand out among the super-stars of the game.
But those who labor alongside the former Pittsburgh All-American each Sunday are acutely aware of his value. To the rest of the Giants, Walton is worth his weight in gold.
Joe arrived on the New York scene in 1961 via a trade with the Redskins. It was said he was a player who could do everything.
The handsome, dark-haired Walton soon proved that his reputation as a complete player was well-founded. He landed the regular tight end spot with the Maramen and went the route as the won the Eastern title.
Walton truly did everything. He caught passes. He blocked lethally. He hustled and drove every inch of the way, a throwback to the old-time, hard-nosed football player.
It was difficult to play a starting role against the competition provided by Del Shofner (68 catches for 1,125 yards) and Kyle Rote (53 catches for 805 yards), but this mattered little to Walton. He plugged along week after week, catching passes in the clutch and clearing the way for Giant ball-carriers with crisp blocking.
Shofner and Rote got the headlines; Walton got the job done, more quietly but with equal efficiency.
Joe is 26 years old. He weighs 205 pounds and stands a shade under six feet. He lacks the size to block on big defensive linemen, but he flattens them anyway. He also lacks speed and quickness, but still he outmaneuvers swifter defensive halfbacks.
Rival teams that ganged up on Shofner and Rote in 1961 learned to their dismay that Walton could not be disregarded. Joe saved more than one game with timely catches when the opposition was double-teaming the other Giant receivers.
His dogged receiving accounted directly for one touchdown and set up another in New York's key 28-24 victory over Philadelphia at Franklin Field. And in several other games it was Walton who made face-in-the-dirt catches for vital first downs en route to winning scores. All told, Joe nabbed 36 aerials for 544 yards and two touchdowns, the most productive of his five years in the big time.
But what the statistical record does not disclose are the games Joe Walton has won with his blocking, his competitive drive and all-around football savvy.
Coach Al Sherman says, 'Joe is the kind of a fellow who will find a way to beat you no matter what you do.'
Making the big play has always been Walton's forte. As Pitt captain in 1956, Joe led the nation in touchdown catches and hauled in the winning touchdown aerials in victories over Syracuse, Duke and Oregon.
Pittsburgh coach John Micheloson called him 'one of the finest all-around players I've ever coached.'
The Redskins took note of this appraisal and made Walton their No. 2 draft pick for 1957. He clicked from the start- first on defense, then on offense.
Walton comes from a football family. His dad, the late Frank (Tiger) Walton, was one of the Redskins' greatest guards (1934-35 and 1944-45) and later coached the Washington line. A younger brother, Frank, is currently a junior gridder at Pitt. Like Joe, he's an end.
Joe played his scholastic football in Beaver Falls, Pa., where his dad was head coach. He won a scholarship to Pittsburgh, where he earned a BA in history along with his All-America honors. At Pitt, Joe played in the 1956 Sugar Bowl, the 1957 Gator Bowl and the College All-Star Game.
Now a resident of Stamford, Conn., Joe is employed off-season by Eazor Express Co., a trucking firm. He is married to the beautiful former Virginia Pailes, who represented Washington, D.C., in the 1959 Miss America contest."
-New York Giants Official Program (Yankee Stadium)
JIM COLLIER
Tight End
7th Round (1961)
Arkansas
"Among the several fine rookies the Giants have added to their roster this season is Jim Collier (84). This swift, rangy end from Arkansas has displayed rare first-year ability to go and get that football.
As he gets to know the Giant pass patterns better, you'll see more of him. Jim has all the requisites of a good pro end- size, speed, good hands, desire and intelligence."
-1962 New York Giants Official Program (Yankee Stadium)
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