Emotional Kickoff to Northwestern Football Season

By Todd McClamroch in News on Aug 31, 2006 2:14PM

The Northwestern Wildcats kick-off their 2007 season this evening under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald took over the position after Coach Randy Walker, his mentor, was lost this summer to a heart attack.

Tonight's season kick-off will be an emotional one, as Randy Walker will be remembered prior to the match-up against his alma mater and the team he coached prior to Northwetern, the Miami University Redhawks. Walker played for Miami in the 70s, then coached them from 1990-1998. After leaving Miami University to coach for Northwestern, Walker was involved in setting up this match-up that would bring Northwestern to Oxford for the first time, in a game he would have loved to have coached. Instead fans from both teams will remember the success Walker imparted on both schools' football programs. Walker is one of the most recent product of Miami University's Cradle of Coaches, a name given to the school for producing many great football coaches including: Paul Brown, Sid Gillman, Woody Hayes, Ara Parseghian and Bo Schembechler to name a few.

Tonight's game is being aired on ESPNU and broadcast on 720 WGN and 89.3 WNUR at 6:30pm. Randy Walker will also be honored prior to the Northwestern home opener on September 9th vs. New Hampshire.