Walt Sweeney
Encyclopedia
Walter Francis Sweeney is a former American football
offensive lineman, who played college football
at Syracuse University
, where he made the school's all-century team. He also played in the North-South Game and the College All-Star Game
. A first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers
in 1963, Sweeney helped them win the American Football League
championship.
A premier guard, he was versatile enough to fill in at virtually any offensive line position. Sweeney was named to All-Star teams and Pro Bowl
s for nine consecutive years at offensive guard, beginning with the 1964 AFL All-Star Team
, and in 1970 was selected to the All-Time All-AFL
second team.
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...
offensive lineman, who played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, where he made the school's all-century team. He also played in the North-South Game and the College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
. A first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1963, Sweeney helped them win the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
championship.
A premier guard, he was versatile enough to fill in at virtually any offensive line position. Sweeney was named to All-Star teams and Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
s for nine consecutive years at offensive guard, beginning with the 1964 AFL All-Star Team
American Football League All-Star games
-All-League Teams:The Sporting News published American Football League All-League Teams for each season played by the American Football League, 1960 through 1969...
, and in 1970 was selected to the All-Time All-AFL
American Football League All-Time Team
The American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
second team.