If there has been one constant associated with Robert Morris University football through the program's first 16 years, it has been Joe Walton. He was named the first head coach on July 27, 1993. He started the program from scratch, completing everything from hiring assistant coaches to purchasing equipment to recruiting student-athletes for the team's inaugural on in 1994.

Walton's fingerprints are all over the football program, and to prove that, in 2004 he had the University's on-campus football stadium named in his honor. Joe Walton Stadium hosted its first football game in 2005 to rousing success, as the Colonials defeated Butler, 49-17.

"It's hard to believe," Walton speaks on how fast time has elapsed. "I've said this many times before, and I mean it when I say that this situation is one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life. It happened at the right time. Before this position became available, I felt I was too young to quit coaching, but I wasn't anxious to get back into pro football. When this came along, it was the perfect fit. This situation was the perfect opportunity for me to continue to do what I like to do, and I've loved every minute of it."

To prove that, Walton agreed to a two-year contract extension in December of 2007, meaning he will lead the Colonials through the 2011 campaign.

"One thing about football is that it's a constant challenge," Walton said. "Whether it's the next game, or the next season, or the next group of players, there is always going to be a challenge, and that's something that I enjoy. There's always something you're shooting for. The biggest challenge is getting the team back up when it's down. Nobody likes to lose, but the most satisfaction is seeing players develop, not only on the field but as young men."

Under Walton's tutelage, the Colonials have claimed five Northeast Conference titles and a pair of mid-major national crowns in the program's first 16 years of existence. Robert Morris also is one of just two programs to claim a pair of victories in the ECAC Bowl, having won it in back-to-back seasons in 1996 and 1997. The success has done nothing to dampen Walton's enthusiasm for coaching football at Robert Morris. "I'm enjoying it too much," he responds when a question even hints at the legacy he'll leave.

In 1994, after 35 years in the National Football League, Walton took 64 freshmen at a school that never had football in its 73 years of existence and posted a 7-1-1 record 13 months after being named RMU's first head coach. That team won its first game 21 days after the start of training camp and won five straight to start the season. In 1995, Robert Morris went 6-4, after which the Oakland Raiders drafted running back Tim Hall in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Walton led RMU to Northeast Conference and ECAC Bowl titles in 1996 and 1997 with 9-2 and 8-3 marks, respectively.

The 1998 Colonials, with 12 first-year starters, dipped to 4-6, yet Robert Morris shared the NEC title. In 1999, RMU posted an 8-2 record, a fourth straight NEC championship and a final No. 1 ranking at the NCAA I-AA (now FCS) mid-major level according to Don Hansen's National Weekly Football Gazette. That was followed by a 2000 campaign that saw the squad finish a perfect 10-0, the first undefeated season for any program at RMU. In the process, the team won its fifth straight NEC championship and another No. 1 ranking at the NCAA I-AA (now FCS) mid-major level according to the Football Gazette.

The Robert Morris 2001 squad finished with a record of 6-3 and missed out on its sixth straight NEC title, but the Colonials rebounded to post six straight victories after starting 0-3. In 2002, with 13 players in the starting lineup either freshmen or sophomores thanks in large part due to injuries, RMU finished 3-7, then rebounded to post a 6-4 record in its 10th anniversary season in 2003.

In 2004 the Colonials finished with a 6-5 record, and despite a 2005 season in which Robert Morris posted a record of 2-8, the club rebounded to post a record of 7-4 in 2006. Despite finishing just 4-6 in 2007 and with identical 5-6 records in both 2008 and 2009, the future remains bright.

The addition of Joe Walton Stadium has paid immediate dividends in recruiting, and the 2009 Colonials closed out the season on a five-game winning streak. Robert Morris enters the 2010 season with 19 returning starters and a legitimate chance to challenge for its first NEC title since 2000.

Prior to RMU, Walton was out of football from 1991 to 1993, and it didn't sit well with him. So he came back. He and his staff canvass the country in recruiting, and that work has paid off. RMU wins almost 60 percent of the time with Walton on the sideline.

"Our number one priority is to attract as many student-athletes as we can," he said when appointed. "I enjoy young people. I missed teaching and coaching and I wanted to stay in the area. When the opportunity arose, this seemed perfect. The campus is behind us 100 percent."

This not being the NFL, Walton had some unfamiliar tasks at first. He helped convert John Jay Center into a facility to house football operations. He set out on the recruiting trail in the fall, much as he prepared for every draft day from 1964-91.

By the same token, the familiar was easy to retrieve. His first appointee was Dan Radakovich, a defensive wizard who was on Walton's New York Jets staff and was with Walton for 13 of the first 14 years RMU had a football program. When Radakovich retired in 2008, Walton promoted another NFL alum, John Banaszak, to be RMU's assistant head coach. Banaszak won three Super Bowl championships with the Pittsburgh Steelers and has been an assistant on Walton's staff since 2003.

Walton had his most recent NFL duty in 1990-91, when he served two years as Chuck Noll's offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers. When Noll retired in 1991, a new staff came aboard, and Walton went into the moving business. From 1983-89, he headed the Jets. Also among his years in the NFL were two seasons as offensive coordinator for the Jets (1981-82), seven with the Washington Redskins (offensive coordinator 1978-80; running backs 1974-77) and five with the New York Giants (wide receivers 1969-73).

Walton was twice an All-American at the University of Pittsburgh at tight end and was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the second round (21st player overall) of the 1957 NFL Draft. He spent seven years in the NFL as a tight end from 1957 to 1963 with both the Redskins (1957-60) and the New York Giants (1961-63), compiling 178 receptions for 2,628 yards and 28 touchdowns. Upon retiring in 1964, he spent four seasons as a scout with the Giants.

Since returning to the Pittsburgh area in 1990, Walton has lived in Beaver Falls, Pa., with his wife, Ginger, who passed away in September of 2007. He has two daughters, Jodi and Stacey, and one son, Joe.

Walton's NFL protégés include Rich Kotite, Bud Carson, Joe Theismann, Fran Tarkenton, Norm Snead, Ken O'Brien and Richard Todd.

The Walton File

Who: Joseph Frank Walton
Born: Dec. 15, 1935 (Beaver Falls, Pa.)
Residence: Beaver Falls, Pa.
Wife: Ginger (46 years who passed away 9/5/07)
Daughters: Jodi (47), Stacey (45)
Son: Joe (38)
NFL Stats: 8 years, 178 receptions, 2,628 yards, 28 TD
Alma Mater (Year): Pittsburgh (1957)
Degree: History
High School: Beaver Falls