Up close with… Beach Walter BY SCOTT REX
Walter Beach was a star for Central Michigan University football, but he also made his mark off the field.
When the Pontiac native attended CMU from 1956 to 1960, Beach said he was the only African-American on the football team. Beach said the support of his team members and coach made things much easier during that segregated time.
"I never had to fight over anything anyone said about me. They fought for me, and I was proud that Coach Kelly knew how to handle the discomfort I had."
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But Beach, who played for the then Boston Patriots and the Cleveland Browns, says his experiences growing up in the 1940s and 1950s helped him focus on civil rights and helping people in difficult situations find opportunities – something the 79-year-old still dedicates his time toward as CEO of Amer-I-Can in New York.
CMU welcomed back Beach last semester when he made a speech to students in the Powers Hall Ballroom. Here is what he had to say:
