RIP Coach Joe Walton: Robert Morris made him a legend because Steelers QB Bubby Brister could not learn his offense


Joe Walton as Steelers Assistant

1936-2021


… Pitt All-American on field and in classroom


While Joe Walton’s name became synonymous with the establishment and success of the Robert Morris University football program, the truth is that Walton was looking for a job in 1993 because his offense was too complicated for an NFL quarterback to learn. 


Seriously.


Walton, a former linebacker for the Pitt Panthers and later a head coach of the New York Jets, passed away Sunday at the age of 85. 


The announcement was made by Robert Morris, where Walton became the first football coach in its history and where he led the team to six Northeast Conference championships in his 19 years. 


However, Walton became expendable after Steelers QB Bubby Brister could never learn his offense when he was hired as the offensive coordinator by Steelers Coach Chuck Noll in 1990. 


Brister, not the brightest light of Steelers QBs, was finally benched in 1991 in favor of Neil O’Donnell after failing to learn the intricate offense that Walton brought to the Steelers in 1990. 


Noll retired after the frustrating 1991 season in which the Steelers finished 7-9. 


It was a great win for Robert Morris.


A Beaver Falls native


Walton grew up in Western Pa., a native of Beaver Falls. He was an All-American end for the Pitt panthers in his junior and senior seasons and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1957 with the 14th overall pick. 


Walton was also an academic All-American at Pitt.


He spent seven years with the Redskins and New York Giants before becoming scout and then a coach in a 50-year career. 


With the Robert Morris Colonials, he achieved history when his 2000 team went undefeated and earned a spot in NCAA playoffs for the first time. 


He recorded a 114-92-1 record from 1994 to 2013.


Walton’s tenure with the Steelers was unfortunate, but for him and for Robert Morris, it was fortuitous. 


He returned to Beaver Falls in 1990 when he was hired by the Steelers. He is survived by three children by his first wife, Ginger, who passed away in 2007, and is survived by his current wife, Patty Sheehan Walton. 




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