Walter Bachman
Sport: Football (Inducted 1977-78)

The captain of the 1901 Lafayette football team, the late Walter "Scrappy" Bachman was the developer of the "roving center" concept in college football. The backbone of the 1899, 1900, 1901 Leopard offensive lines, Scrappy is regarded as one of the greatest linemen in Lafayette history.

In 1900 and 1901, Bachman was named a second-team All-America by Walter Camp, one of the first players from outside the "Big Four" of Penn, Princeton, Harvard and Yale to be chosen by Camp. A native of Phillipsburg, NJ., Bachman was also a consensus first-team selection on several other All-America teams. In 1901, he was the fourth leading scorer for the Leopards, with 25 goals from touchdowns, before the modern scoring system was implemented. He also played baseball at Lafayette. Following his graduation, Bachman served as an assistant football coach at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, and at Texas A&M; University. He later returned to the Lehigh Valley, serving as assistant yardmaster and yardmaster for the Lehigh Valley Railroad from 1906 until his retirement in 1944.

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