Hall of Fame
Walter Janiak played left halfback for the Crusaders on the gridiron, and was called the “fastest man in a football suit in the USA” by coach Eddie Anderson.
During his career, Holy Cross compiled a record of 24-4-1. That included the 1935 squad going undefeated (9-0-1), when he was the leading scorer.
Janiak had a key touchdown run against then-eastern powerhouse Manhattan College to earn Holy Cross a 13-13 tie. Later in the season, he scored the only touchdown in a 7-0 win over Carnegie Tech, in addition to stopping the opponent’s leading runner near the goal line following a 64-yard run.
On the track, Janiak was a top sprinter on coach Bart Sullivan’s team for three years.
Following his graduation, Janiak was a teacher, coach and later director of the New Bedford Vocational High School, where the Z. Walter Janiak Field House was named after him.
Janiak passed away in 2005.
