When Mike Ditka, Da Coach, was the Chicago Bears head coach in the 1980’s, it was all about the sweater. In baseball, Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker wears those feminine gloves in the dugout. In the 1990s, many will remember the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Walt Corey chewing on a swizzle stick during his chess match with the opposing team’s offensive coordinator. Corey, a former star linebacker who went into coaching after his playing days, lasted 27 years on the sidelines. Corey spent 8 seasons in Buffalo and was part of those 4 AFC Championships of the Bills in the 1990’s. Corey has passed away at 84 years of age. He was a guy who gave his lifetime to the sport of football while touching many lives in the process.

During the late 1980’s and the 1990’s, I was a young football fan. I played football one year in grammar school, and another season in high school at that time while watching the NFL which I loved. I was a Buffalo Bills fan then and still am today. I remember those great Bills teams and telecasts mentioning the chewing swizzle stick defensive coordinator, Walt Corey. Back then you could not download the information you can in present times. Coach Cory had an interesting career. Corey was an un-drafted linebacker out of the University of Miami. Drafted by the Dallas Texans of the AFL.

The Texans would go on and move to Kansas City and become the Chiefs. Corey played some solid football as a player and was part of interesting football history. In 1963, Corey was an All-Star linebacker. Corey was part of two AFL championships between the years of 1962-66. Then the merger happened, and Corey played in the first Superbowl in history when the Chiefs and the Packers squared off.

In the 1990’s, I loved the sitcom, Coach. Head Coach Hayden Fox, played by Craig T. Nelson, with his longtime assistant Luther Van Dam, played by Jerry Van Dyke, coaching the Minnesota Screaming Eagles. Then eventually moving on together to take on a professional team, the Orlando Breakers. Walt Corey and longtime head coach in the NFL Marv Levy, had that kind of relationship. Marv Levy was head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs before he came to Buffalo. Back then in Kansas City, Corey coached the Chiefs defensive line, and defensive backs from 1978-82. Levy would hire his old friend in Buffalo as the defensive coordinator where Corey would coach 8 seasons in Western New York from 1987-1994. Bills had a ton of talent on those defenses, Corey the coach from Bruce Smith, Cornelius Bennett, and Daryl Talley are some of the big names. One of my favorite players on the defensive side of the ball for the Bills was linebacker Shane Conlan.

During Walt Corey’s time in Buffalo, it was his 1988 Buffalo defensive unit that was the best as they ranked number 4 that year in total defense. Shocking it was not one of the 4 straight Superbowl defenses the Bills had which were not his best units. Corey had 4 other defenses in his 8 seasons in Buffalo in the top 12 of the league. The Bills 1993 defensive unit finished in top 5 in points allowed in the good way not giving them up which is the bad way.

Walt Corey would move on from Buffalo and find himself coaching in the Big Easy under Chicago legend Mike Ditka, when he was hired as the Saints Head Coach.

Corey helped the Saints from 1997-1999. In 2001, Corey gave the Wrestling league called the XFL, a whirl as defensive coordinator. Corey would coach the defense for the Memphis Maniax. The XFL part one would last only one season.

Walt Corey would play in a Superbowl and then coach in 4 of them. Corey has played in and coached in some interesting places over his football life. You may feel his heart probably belong in Kansas City with runner-up being Buffalo. I’m sure he did plenty of great things in each journey he made, dedicating his life to the game of football. The Bills should have won one of those 4 Superbowls. The first one with the missed kick that sailed wide right in the last seconds was heart breaking. The Bills played solid on both sides of the ball versus the Giants. The other three Superbowls, the Bills were flat on both sides of the ball. You can’t point the finger at one side of the ball. These things just happen in sports. Walt Corey was part of winning four straight AFC Championships which many can’t say they did that done that. I feel he created a team effort which was a big part in those 8 years being that young fan watching the game and giving me so much joy to watch. Buffalo Bills football is my team I care the most about passion-wise. Every time I stir my bloody Mary with my swizzle stick these days, Walt Corey and some great defenses will flash in my mind where present times it’s all about scoring in the NFL. Only guys like Corey will still find a way to hand cuff an offense even with being handcuffed themselves with too many rules against the defense. In heaven, Walt Corey is probably preparing his defense while chewing on his swizzle stick facing an offense with Water Payton and Red Grange the Galloping Ghost. Wouldn’t that be sweetness to see that unfold. RIP Coach !!!!