Sport: Football
Born: December 6, 1911
Died: February 5, 1992
Town: Jersey City, New Jersey
Walter Wallace Singer was born December 6, 1911 in Jersey City, NJ. Walt and his identical twin, Milton, were rock-hard six-footers who starred for the Dickinson High Rams sports teams. Walt was the catcher on the baseball team, while his brother played first base. In 1930, Milton earned all-state honorable mention as a tailback, while Walt was a first-team all-state end. The Rams were unbeaten that year, winning the Hudson County championship. The Singer Twins were Jersey City’s most famous Jewish athletes—and were still revered by old-timers more than a half-century later.
The Singers earned scholarships to Syracuse University and were varsity lettermen for the legendary Vic Hanson each year from 1932 to 1934. Walt was an end and Milton was the center for the Orangemen. They also played baseball for Syracuse. As a junior in 1933, Walt won the intercollegiate heavyweight boxing championship, but later quit boxing at Hanson’s insistence. That fall, Walt earned All-East recognition. The Orangemen won their first two games by a score of 92–0, but then lost 4 of their next 6 to finish 1933 with a record of 4–4. Syracuse improved to 6–2 in 1934, his senior year, including upsets of Penn State and Michigan State.
Walt signed a contract with the New York Giants right after his senior season and was actually a member of the team when the Giants played their famous Sneaker Game against the Bears in the winter of 1934. However, he did not play.
Walt performed primarily as a blocker on offense and a run-stopping end on defense. The Giants won the East title in 1935, but lost to the Detroit Lions in the NFL Championship, 26–7. Walt caught a 20-yard pass in that game. In 1936, he started 10 of the Giants’ 12 games and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
The 1937 season found Walt back home in Jersey City, as a player-coach for the Giants’ farm team there. He served in this capacity until 1941, when he enlisted in the Army. Walt rose to the rank of major and served with distinction in North Africa. He coached a service team called the Casablanca Yankees that won the “North Africa World Series” in 1943.
Walt settled in New York after the war. His son, Jonathan, became a doctor and, in 1991, had a 1934 Sneaker Game championship ring made for his father. Walt passed away shortly afterwards, on February 5, 1992.