Walter Belardinelli Sr.
(Football, 1957)
What do you say about a man whose career spanned a single season yet that single season marked him as one of the greatest in his sport ever? Wow! Such is the case with our next Hall of Fame inductee Walt Belardinelli. Walt is originally from Bethel and Bethel only played six man football in the 1940's. When "Copper" Crotty became head football coach at DHS in 1946 he inherited a team that had lost it's last 14 games, and the old redhead needed something to jump start the program. Walt was dominating the six man circuit in Bethel and Coach Crotty decided that Belardinelli would be the man to get Hatter football rolling. What he did in that single season was he garnered Danbury it's first win since 1944 and its first winning season since before World War II. He led the Crottymen in rushing and in touchdowns with 15, which is a record that stood until Daryl Dewan scored 19 touchdowns in 1968. Walt's efforts as a running back, punter and linebacker earned him All State honors from the New Haven Register. After graduation from DHS Walt attended Marianapolis Prep in Thompson, CT where he led his team in touchdowns with 15 on way to an undefeated season. His prep school efforts attracted the attention of Coach Frank Leahy at the University of Notre Dame and Walt earned a four year scholarship to play for the Irish. Things in South Bend didn't work out as planned for Walt and he transferred to Mount Saint Mary's in Maryland to play for the Mountaineers. At the "Mount" his gridiron exploits continued and he was the leading small school rusher and scorer in the state of Maryland for his two years in "E-burgh." Walt returned to Connecticut and continued playing for area amateur teams but his career was cut short by the Korean War and he served 21 months in the service. His football career was simply remarkable. So much so that "Copper" Crotty said of Walt "Walt made me." That's quite a statement coming from the legendary coach. He is perhaps the finest running back in DHS history.