Professional Football Player, Actor. Born Walter Lee Barnes, he attended Parkersburg High School (West Virginia) and following his service with the US Military during World War II, he played collegiate football at Louisiana State University. While with the (LSU) Tigers, he earned All-Conference honors two-times, in addition to becoming a weightlifting champion on the collegiate level. He was signed by the Eagles as a non-drafted player and for four seasons (1948 to 1951), he played at the guard position in the National Football League with Philadelphia and was a contributor to two consecutive Eagles' NFL titles (1948 and 1949). During the course of his career, Barnes became known throughout the league for his tough physical playing-style. He played in 47 career regular season games, receiving Pro-Bowl honors in 1950. After retiring from football, Barnes moved to Hollywood and embarked on a 30-year acting career, as he appeared in the TV programs "Cheyenne", "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", and many more. He was associated with Clint Eastwood and had roles in the films "High Plains Drifter" (1973), "Every Which Way But Loose" (1978, perhaps best remembered for his part as Tank Murdock who had a memorable fistfight with Eastwood in the picture) and "Bronco Billy" (1980).
Professional Football Player, Actor. Born Walter Lee Barnes, he attended Parkersburg High School (West Virginia) and following his service with the US Military during World War II, he played collegiate football at Louisiana State University. While with the (LSU) Tigers, he earned All-Conference honors two-times, in addition to becoming a weightlifting champion on the collegiate level. He was signed by the Eagles as a non-drafted player and for four seasons (1948 to 1951), he played at the guard position in the National Football League with Philadelphia and was a contributor to two consecutive Eagles' NFL titles (1948 and 1949). During the course of his career, Barnes became known throughout the league for his tough physical playing-style. He played in 47 career regular season games, receiving Pro-Bowl honors in 1950. After retiring from football, Barnes moved to Hollywood and embarked on a 30-year acting career, as he appeared in the TV programs "Cheyenne", "Gunsmoke", "Bonanza", and many more. He was associated with Clint Eastwood and had roles in the films "High Plains Drifter" (1973), "Every Which Way But Loose" (1978, perhaps best remembered for his part as Tank Murdock who had a memorable fistfight with Eastwood in the picture) and "Bronco Billy" (1980).
Bio by: C.S.
Inscription
WALTER LEE BARNES
SGT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
JUN 26 1918 JAN 6 1998
BELOVED FATHER
Family Members
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See more Barnes memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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