Football Coach At Benton Harbor
After graduating, Weber was a high school football coach for four years at Benton Harbor, Michigan 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:
"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."
Read more about this topic: Wally Weber
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