Larry Walton
| No. 49 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | February 8, 1947 Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | July 4, 2024 (aged 77) Goodyear, Arizona, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Johnstown | ||||||||
| College | |||||||||
| NFL draft | 1969: 3rd round, 59th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Larry James Walton (born February 8, 1947) was an American professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Trinidad Trojans and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Walton was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. He was also a member of the Buffalo Bills.
Biography
Walton was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on February 8, 1947.[1]
He played college football at Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado and at Arizona State University. In November 1967, he tied a Western Athletic Conference record with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in a game.[2] He gained 719 yards for Arizona State in 1968.[3]
During his eight years in the National Football League, he played for the Detroit Lions, from 1969 to 1974 and again in 1976, and then for the Buffalo Bills in 1978. His best seasons were from 1970 to 1972 when he caught 84 passes for 1,508 yards and 16 touchdowns.[1]
He missed the 1975 season after undergoing knee surgery.[4] He was cut by the Lions on September 12, 1977,[5] later attempting a comeback with the Bills in 1978.[6][1]
Walton died in Goodyear, Arizona on July 4, 2024 at age 77.[7]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1969 | DET | 14 | 7 | 12 | 109 | 9.1 | 16 | 0 |
| 1970 | DET | 13 | 11 | 30 | 532 | 17.7 | 56 | 5 |
| 1971 | DET | 14 | 14 | 30 | 491 | 16.4 | 60 | 5 |
| 1972 | DET | 14 | 9 | 24 | 485 | 20.2 | 48 | 6 |
| 1973 | DET | 13 | 11 | 22 | 309 | 14.0 | 49 | 4 |
| 1974 | DET | 13 | 12 | 31 | 404 | 13.0 | 48 | 3 |
| 1976 | DET | 14 | 13 | 20 | 293 | 14.7 | 28 | 3 |
| 1978 | BUF | 12 | 2 | 4 | 66 | 16.5 | 32 | 1 |
| 107 | 79 | 173 | 2,689 | 15.5 | 60 | 27 | ||
Playoffs
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1970 | DET | 1 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 15 | 0 |
| 1 | 1 | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 15 | 0 | ||
References
- ^ a b c "Larry Walton". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 28, 2016.
- ^ "Walton, Aylward Lead WAC Standouts". Tucson Daily Citizen. November 7, 1967. p. 18.
- ^ "Lions Sign Speedster". Detroit Free Press. June 4, 1969. p. 4D.
- ^ "Lions Are Ready, Forzano Says". Detroit Free Press. September 16, 1975.
- ^ "Larry Walton cut by Lions". The Record-Eagle (Traverse City). September 13, 1977. p. 13.
- ^ "Bills' Knox scoops up Walton". Detroit Free Press. August 25, 1978. p. 4D.
- ^ Mastovich, Mike (July 24, 2024). "Former NFL receiver, Johnstown graduate Larry Walton remembered as talented competitor". The Tribune-Democrat. Retrieved May 26, 2025.