Walter Edward Slater (January 31, 1920 – May 11, 2012) was an American football player. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football. In 1941, he led all NCAA major college players with an average of 20.4 yards per punt return.[1] After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II,[2] he later played professional football in the National Football League (NFL), appearing in 11 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1947 NFL season.[3][4] During his time with the Steelers, he totaled 167 rushing yards and 215 passing yards. He also led the NFL with 435 punt return yards in 1947.[3] In 1948, Slater retired from the NFL and was hired as the backfield coach for the NC State Wolfpack football team.[5] He was the football coach at St. Augustine High School in St. Augustine, Florida from 1950 to 1961.[2]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | January 31, 1920 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Died: | May 11, 2012 (aged 92) St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Massanutten Military Academy |
| College: | Tennessee |
| Position: | Tailback |
| NFL draft: | 1946 / round: 5 / pick: 37 |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2015. p. 72.
- ^ a b Korfhage, Stuart (May 12, 2012). "Walt Slater, longtime St. Augustine football coach, dies at 92". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ a b "Walt Slater Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 12, 2024.
- ^ "Ace of Vols Seeks Dudley's Job: Walt Slater Starred Under Bob Neyland". The Pittsburgh Press. August 21, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Google News.
- ^ "Steelers' Slater Will Coach N. Carolina State". The News-Herald. August 31, 1948. p. 1. Retrieved February 12, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.