Walt Michaels
Michaels on a 1952 Bowman football card
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| No. 35, 34 | |||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | October 16, 1929 | ||
| Place of birth: | Swoyersville, Pennsylvania | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Weight: | 231 lb (105 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| College: | Washington and Lee | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1951 / Round: 7 / Pick: 86 | ||
| Career history | |||
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| As coach: | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
| Player stats at NFL.com |
Walt Michaels (born October 16, 1929) is a former professional football player and coach who is best remembered for his six-year tenure as head coach of the NFL's New York Jets from 1977 to 1982. In 1977, Michaels was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and, in 1997 he was inducted into the National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame.
A son of a coal miner from Swoyersville, Pennsylvania, Michaels was a two-sport athlete at the local high school, then went on to play collegiately as a fullback at Washington & Lee University. During the 1950 season, he helped the Generals reach the Gator Bowl, but was unable to play in the contest due to an appendicitis attack he suffered one week before the New Year's Day game. In the 1951 NFL draft, he was selected in the seventh round by the Cleveland Browns, but was traded to the Green Bay Packers during the summer training camp. Michaels was used primarily on special teams during his rookie season in Green Bay.
On April 29, 1952, Michaels was traded back to the Browns for three offensive linemen, and played a key role in the team's defense over the next decade at linebacker. Often used to call the defensive signals, Michaels intercepted 11 passes, including four in 1952, and also returned two of them for touchdowns. In those 10 years, Michaels helped the Browns play in five NFL Championship games, winning consecutive contests in 1954 and 1955.
On April 3, 1962, Michaels entered the coaching ranks when he was hired by the American Football League's Oakland Raiders as the team's defensive backs coach. He would spend only one season there, with the success he enjoyed with the Browns nowhere to be found. The Raiders lost their first 13 games before winning the season finale, playing in Frank Youell Field, a temporary stadium.
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