reputation as an innovative genius is probably overdone, since he borrowed heavily from Sid Gillman and Paul Brown. As Salon.com’s King Kauffman points points out here, Walsh fit the system to the talent. If he’d had Dan Marino, he’d have gone about it a lot differently.
What I loved about Walsh was that a soft-spoken, professorial guy could beat the crap out of traditional, macho football types. I suspect he’s underrated as a leader and motivator. He never seemed lovable from a distance, but check out some of the widely circulated quotes from former players in the wake of Walsh’s passing.
He was not only a great one, but one of the most interesting great ones.
RIP
