Bruce Walton (American football)
| No. 78 | |||||||
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| Position: | San Diego, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died: | October 18, 2019 (aged 68) | ||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Helix (La Mesa, California) | ||||||
| College: | UCLA | ||||||
| NFL draft: | 1973 / Round: 5 / Pick: 126 | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||
Bruce Edward Walton (June 14, 1951 – October 18, 2019) was an American professional
offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins
.
Early years
Walton was the oldest son of Ted and Gloria Walton and was born in
San Diego, California. He attended Helix High School where he played football and basketball. He accepted a football scholarship from the University of California, Los Angeles.[1]
He was named a starter as a sophomore. As a senior, he helped his team rush for 3,810 yards and score 38 rushing
All-American running back Kermit Johnson
.
He was a three-year starter at
offensive tackle and graduated with the school record for consecutive starts (32).[2]
Professional career
Walton was selected in the fifth round (126th overall) of the
special teams. He returned one kickoff
for 11 yards.
In
left tackle behind Rayfield Wright. He appeared in 13 games, starting against the Houston Oilers
in place of an injured Wright.
In
NBA finals
.
In 1976, he did not report to the team and retired because of a knee injury.
Personal life
Walton is the older brother of
hall of famer Bill Walton.[4] After his playing career was over, Bruce Walton managed the 98.1 KIFM radio station in the San Diego area. He introduced the "lites out" smooth jazz format. In 1996, his company sold KIFM to the Jefferson Pilot group for $28.75 million. In 2002, Walton joined Terramar Retail Center as vice president for development overseeing Seaport Village. He was named a Director for Competitor Group (CGI) in 2012.[1]
He played a football player in the Walt Disney film Gus.
In 2017, Walton suffered a bout of the flu that ended up causing brain injuries and kidney failure. He managed to recover in time for his daughter Harmony's wedding in May 2019. Walton died on October 18, 2019.[1]
References
- ^ San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "UCLA Hosts Arizona at Rose Bowl on Saturday - UCLA Bruins Official Athletic Site | UCLABruins.com". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "Cowboys Ink Bruce Walton". Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "Title IX helps baby brothers, too". San Diego Hall of Champions. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2023.