Wally Weber
Encyclopedia
Walter J. Weber was an American football
player and coach at the University of Michigan
. He played halfback
and fullback
for the Wolverines
in 1925 and 1926 on the same teams as Benny Friedman
and Bennie Oosterbaan
. He later became an assistant football coach at Michigan for 28 years from 1931 to 1958. He continued to work for the University of Michigan in recruiting and alumni relations and as an instructor of physical education until his retirement in 1972. He also provided color commentary on WPAG
radio's broadcasts of Michigan football games with Bob Ufer
. From 1927 to 1930, he was football coach at Benton Harbor High School
, leading the Tigers to the state championship in 1929. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1981 as part of the fourth group of inductees. Only seven football players were inducted into the Hall of Honor before Weber.
, Weber played football at Michigan in 1925 and 1926 as a halfback and fullback in the same backfield with College
and Pro Football Hall of Fame
r Benny Friedman
and College Hall of Famer Bennie Oosterbaan
. In 1927, Weber scored two touchdowns against Wisconsin
in Fielding H. Yost's last game as Michigan's football coach (also the last Michigan football game played at Ferry Field
). Michigan won the game, 37–0. The next week, Michigan played Ohio State
in Columbus
, and an anxious Weber was quoted as saying to Oosterbaan, "Ben, at this rate they're going to beat us 40-0." Oosterbaan reportedly replied, "Dammit, Wally, we haven't had the ball yet."
Having played with Friedman and Oosterbaan, Weber once modestly noted that "my sole function in the drama was to inflate the ball." Weber later recalled that the 1925 and 1926 teams with Oosterbaan and Friedman helped build the demand for Michigan football: "We were so good, we created the demand for the new stadium. Ferry Field had a capacity of 45,000 and that wasn't nearly big enough to handle the crowds who wanted to see us play. So they had to build the new stadium."
In 1925 or 1926, a rule change was instituted so that players did not need to pursue a fumble out-of-bounds attempting to gain possession. During a game after the rule change, Weber reportedly scrambled after a fumble out-of-bounds, across the track surrounding the gridiron at Ferry Field. Weber scraped his face, hands and arms with the cinders from the track. When he handed the ball to an official, the official said, “Weber, you dummy, don't you know the rule changed this year and the ball belonged to Michigan when it went out of bounds?” Weber replied, “Sure I knew, but I wasn't sure you did.” Asked in 1977 about how modern football players differed from his era, Weber conceded that modern players were bigger and stronger, yet noted: "But players had more stamina in the old football game. A Harmon played it all the way. An Oosterbaan played it all the way. A Weber played it all the way. Sixty minutes, no breaks."
from 1927 to 1930. His team lost only one game in 1928 and won the state football championship in 1929, as the "Weber machine swept through the entire campaign." Weber coached future All-American Chuck Bernard
in high school at Benton Harbor and later coached him in college at Michigan. Another of Weber's players from Benton Harbor, Art Buss
, went on to play at Michigan State
and in the NFL
from 1934 to 1937 for the Chicago Bears
and Philadelphia Eagles
. When he left in 1931 to accept a job at Michigan, the Benton Harbor newspaper ran an article with a banner headline paying tribute to his accomplishments. In part, it noted:
Another article noted: "Benton Harbor probably never has boasted a coach as popular as Coach Weber, who has really put Benton Harbor on the football map." On being invited to a reunion of his players in 1959, Weber recalled fondly his days as a high school football coach: "Your fine invitation to break bread with the athletes of yesteryear at Benton Harbor has fallen upon the ears of a grateful coach. Without some of those magnificent boys of '27-28-29-30 my life might have been entirely different. Those boys by their valiant deeds on the gridiron at Filstrup field encouraged me to take up coaching as a lifetime career."
When Weber stepped down as an assistant coach in 1958, he became a full-time recruiter for Michigan. At the time, a Michigan sports columnist wrote of Weber: "For 23 years Wally has blown the whistle on freshman football players. . . . The polysyllabic Weber is Michigan's foremost representative on the banquet circuit. In fact, he's about the only one of the staff to get out and stump the state . . ." His official position was public relations, which one paper said "in blunt terms means recruiting chief."
In the 1950s and 1960s, Weber was a popular banquet speaker renowned for his "polysyllabic fluency," "mind--boggling after-dinner speeches," and his often humorous talks about the history of Michigan football. It was noted that he would "regale with dubious rhetoric" audiences before whom he would thunderously and whimsically "expatiate upon" Michigan's storied history. Another described Weber's unusual speaking style this way: "He still sounds like an educated foghorn, and still flips that king's English around in a manner to amaze and apall old Noah Webster
." Praising a piledriver spotted among a current crop of Wolverines, the coach would exclaim, "When he hits 'em, generations yet unborn feel the shock of the impact!" Jim Brandstatter wrote in his book Tales from Michigan Stadium that Weber was still a regular visitor at the football offices when he enrolled in 1968. He recalled Weber as a master story teller and a favorite among the students at pep rallies: “Who can forget Wally Weber rolling his pant legs up to his knees as the student body roared before he spoke so eloquently about his beloved Michigan?” Weber also held positions in the 1960s and early 1970s in alumni relations and the physical education department. Weber also provided color commentary on WPAG radio's broadcasts of Michigan football games with Bob Ufer
for several years. He retired in 1972 at the same time as Oosterbaan. With the exception of four years at Benton Harbor, Weber had been a student or employee of U-M for 48 years at the time of his retirement.
in Royal Oak, Michigan
.
Weber was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
in 1981 as part of the fourth group of inductees. Only seven football players were inducted into the Hall of Honor before Weber. Weber was still living in 1981 at the time of his induction into the Hall of Honor.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He played halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
for the Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in 1925 and 1926 on the same teams as Benny Friedman
Benny Friedman
Benjamin "Benny" Friedman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan , Cleveland Bulldogs , Detroit Wolverines , New York Giants , and Brooklyn Dodgers .He is generally considered the first great passer in professional football...
and Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
. He later became an assistant football coach at Michigan for 28 years from 1931 to 1958. He continued to work for the University of Michigan in recruiting and alumni relations and as an instructor of physical education until his retirement in 1972. He also provided color commentary on WPAG
WTKA
WTKA is a radio station located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, that broadcasts on 1050 AM. Day power is 10 kW, night power is 500 W. The station covers most of southeast Michigan....
radio's broadcasts of Michigan football games with Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer was the lead broadcaster for the Michigan Wolverines football team for 37 years, starting in 1944. He has been inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.-Early years:...
. From 1927 to 1930, he was football coach at Benton Harbor High School
Benton Harbor High School
Benton Harbor High School is a high school in Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States, owned and operated by Benton Harbor Area Schools.The school is made up of a number of "learning communities":*Communication, Arts & Business Academy...
, leading the Tigers to the state championship in 1929. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1981 as part of the fourth group of inductees. Only seven football players were inducted into the Hall of Honor before Weber.
Football player at Michigan
A native of Mount Clemens, MichiganMount Clemens, Michigan
Mount Clemens is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,312. It is the county seat of Macomb County.-Early history:...
, Weber played football at Michigan in 1925 and 1926 as a halfback and fullback in the same backfield with College
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
and Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
r Benny Friedman
Benny Friedman
Benjamin "Benny" Friedman was an American football quarterback who played for the University of Michigan , Cleveland Bulldogs , Detroit Wolverines , New York Giants , and Brooklyn Dodgers .He is generally considered the first great passer in professional football...
and College Hall of Famer Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
. In 1927, Weber scored two touchdowns against Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
in Fielding H. Yost's last game as Michigan's football coach (also the last Michigan football game played at Ferry Field
Ferry Field
Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000....
). Michigan won the game, 37–0. The next week, Michigan played Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, and an anxious Weber was quoted as saying to Oosterbaan, "Ben, at this rate they're going to beat us 40-0." Oosterbaan reportedly replied, "Dammit, Wally, we haven't had the ball yet."
Having played with Friedman and Oosterbaan, Weber once modestly noted that "my sole function in the drama was to inflate the ball." Weber later recalled that the 1925 and 1926 teams with Oosterbaan and Friedman helped build the demand for Michigan football: "We were so good, we created the demand for the new stadium. Ferry Field had a capacity of 45,000 and that wasn't nearly big enough to handle the crowds who wanted to see us play. So they had to build the new stadium."
In 1925 or 1926, a rule change was instituted so that players did not need to pursue a fumble out-of-bounds attempting to gain possession. During a game after the rule change, Weber reportedly scrambled after a fumble out-of-bounds, across the track surrounding the gridiron at Ferry Field. Weber scraped his face, hands and arms with the cinders from the track. When he handed the ball to an official, the official said, “Weber, you dummy, don't you know the rule changed this year and the ball belonged to Michigan when it went out of bounds?” Weber replied, “Sure I knew, but I wasn't sure you did.” Asked in 1977 about how modern football players differed from his era, Weber conceded that modern players were bigger and stronger, yet noted: "But players had more stamina in the old football game. A Harmon played it all the way. An Oosterbaan played it all the way. A Weber played it all the way. Sixty minutes, no breaks."
Football coach at Benton Harbor
After graduating, Weber was a high school football coach for four years at Benton Harbor, MichiganBenton Harbor, Michigan
Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan which is located west of Kalamazoo. The population was 10,038 at the 2010 census. It is the lesser populated of the two principal cities included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a...
from 1927 to 1930. His team lost only one game in 1928 and won the state football championship in 1929, as the "Weber machine swept through the entire campaign." Weber coached future All-American Chuck Bernard
Chuck Bernard
Joseph Charles "Chuck" Bernard was a professional American football center who played for the Detroit Lions in 1934 and was a two-time All-American at the University of Michigan. He was born in Chicago, Illinois....
in high school at Benton Harbor and later coached him in college at Michigan. Another of Weber's players from Benton Harbor, Art Buss
Art Buss
Arthur T. Buss was a professional American football offensive tackle in the National Football League. He played four seasons for the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. Buss was traded by the Bears to the Eagles during the inaugural NFL Draft in exchange for first overall selection, Jay...
, went on to play at Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
and in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1934 to 1937 for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. When he left in 1931 to accept a job at Michigan, the Benton Harbor newspaper ran an article with a banner headline paying tribute to his accomplishments. In part, it noted:
"Walter J. 'Wally' Weber, former football star at the University of Michigan, today ends his successful and brilliant four year term as head coach of the Benton Harbor football team. . . . Weber passes from Benton Harbor but his shouts of 'Run, Run, Run,' will always ring in the ears of his players and followers at Filstrup field. Wally came to Benton Harbor as a rookie coach, but leaves today as one of the greatest in the brilliant history of the gridiron sport at the local high school. . . . Since coming here four years ago, Weber gave Benton Harbor its first state championship in 26 years . . . Weber is passing from Benton Harbor in body, but his loyal and winning spirit will never be forgotten here."
Another article noted: "Benton Harbor probably never has boasted a coach as popular as Coach Weber, who has really put Benton Harbor on the football map." On being invited to a reunion of his players in 1959, Weber recalled fondly his days as a high school football coach: "Your fine invitation to break bread with the athletes of yesteryear at Benton Harbor has fallen upon the ears of a grateful coach. Without some of those magnificent boys of '27-28-29-30 my life might have been entirely different. Those boys by their valiant deeds on the gridiron at Filstrup field encouraged me to take up coaching as a lifetime career."
Football coach and raconteur at Michigan
In 1931, Weber accepted a position as an assistant coach at Michigan and continued in that position for 28 years. Hercules Renda, a Michigan fullback in the late 1930s, said: “Wally Weber was the ideal freshman coach. He would call you by the place you were from, and the state you were from. Can you imagine? Think of the memory that man had? He would also use those big words. That was Wally. You were perfectly at ease with him at any time."When Weber stepped down as an assistant coach in 1958, he became a full-time recruiter for Michigan. At the time, a Michigan sports columnist wrote of Weber: "For 23 years Wally has blown the whistle on freshman football players. . . . The polysyllabic Weber is Michigan's foremost representative on the banquet circuit. In fact, he's about the only one of the staff to get out and stump the state . . ." His official position was public relations, which one paper said "in blunt terms means recruiting chief."
In the 1950s and 1960s, Weber was a popular banquet speaker renowned for his "polysyllabic fluency," "mind--boggling after-dinner speeches," and his often humorous talks about the history of Michigan football. It was noted that he would "regale with dubious rhetoric" audiences before whom he would thunderously and whimsically "expatiate upon" Michigan's storied history. Another described Weber's unusual speaking style this way: "He still sounds like an educated foghorn, and still flips that king's English around in a manner to amaze and apall old Noah Webster
Noah Webster
Noah Webster was an American educator, lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English spelling reformer, political writer, editor, and prolific author...
." Praising a piledriver spotted among a current crop of Wolverines, the coach would exclaim, "When he hits 'em, generations yet unborn feel the shock of the impact!" Jim Brandstatter wrote in his book Tales from Michigan Stadium that Weber was still a regular visitor at the football offices when he enrolled in 1968. He recalled Weber as a master story teller and a favorite among the students at pep rallies: “Who can forget Wally Weber rolling his pant legs up to his knees as the student body roared before he spoke so eloquently about his beloved Michigan?” Weber also held positions in the 1960s and early 1970s in alumni relations and the physical education department. Weber also provided color commentary on WPAG radio's broadcasts of Michigan football games with Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer was the lead broadcaster for the Michigan Wolverines football team for 37 years, starting in 1944. He has been inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.-Early years:...
for several years. He retired in 1972 at the same time as Oosterbaan. With the exception of four years at Benton Harbor, Weber had been a student or employee of U-M for 48 years at the time of his retirement.
Family and later years
Weber was married to Frances L. Enders of Benton Harbor. His wife died before him in July 1965. They had a son, Robert Weber, who was a football coach at Kimball High SchoolRoyal Oak High School
Royal Oak High School is a secondary educational facility located in Royal Oak, Michigan. The current principal is Michael Greening.-History:ROHS is a 2006 consolidation of former intra-city rivals Royal Oak George A. Dondero High School and...
in Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
.
Weber was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the university's athletic programs...
in 1981 as part of the fourth group of inductees. Only seven football players were inducted into the Hall of Honor before Weber. Weber was still living in 1981 at the time of his induction into the Hall of Honor.