{{Short description|American football player and coach (1896–1961)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | name = Walt Jean | image = | caption = | number = 12, 8 | position = Guard, center, tackle, fullback | birth_date = {{Birth date|1896|1|12}} | birth_place = Chillicothe, Ohio, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|3|27|1898|1|2}} | death_place = Jacksonport, Wisconsin, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 0 | weight_lbs = 231 | college = Heidelberg ({{Circa|1916–1919}})<br>Bethany (WV) (1921) | teams = * Akron Pros (1922–1923) * Milwaukee Badgers (1924) * Frankford Yellow Jackets (1925) * Green Bay Packers (1925–1926) * Pottsville Maroons (1927) * Portsmouth Shoe-Steels (1927) | pastcoaching = * Bowling Green (1920)<br>Head coach * Portsmouth Shoe-Steels (1927)<br>Line coach, head coach * Portsmouth Spartans (1928–1929) | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 50 | statlabel2 = Games started | statvalue2 = 35 | pfr = L/LeJeWa20 }}
'''Walter LeArmand LeJeune''' (January 12, 1896 – March 27, 1961), also known as '''Walt Jean''', '''Walter L. Jean''', and '''Walter Le Jean''', was an American professional football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, from 1922 to 1927, with five different teams: the Akron Pros (1922–1923), Milwaukee Badgers (1924), Frankford Yellow Jackets (1925), Green Bay Packers (1925–1926), and Pottsville Maroons (1927).
==College career== A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jean played college football as a fullback at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Dayton Boy Is Star of Heidelberg Eleven |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news/194017140/ |newspaper=Dayton Sunday News |location=Dayton, Ohio |date=October 19, 1919 |page=3, sport section |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> In November 1919, he was elected captain of the Heidelberg football team for the following season.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Jean is Heidelberg Captain |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer/194017431/ |newspaper=Cleveland Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, Ohio |date=November 27, 1919 |page=21 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> In 1920, however, Jean coached the football team at Bowling Green State Normal School—now known as Bowling Green State University.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Heidelberg Stars With High Elevens |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/akron-evening-times/194017188/ |newspaper=Akron Evening Times |location=Akron, Ohio |date=September 25, 1920 |page=6 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Looking Back |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-tribune/194017062/ |newspaper=The Daily Sentinel-Tribune |location=Bowling Green, Ohio |date=September 28, 1970 |page=4 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> In 1921, he played at Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Walter Jean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wheeling-intelligencer/194058276/ |newspaper=The Wheeling Intelligencer |location=Wheeling, West Virginia |date=October 5, 1921 |page=7 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>
==Professional career== Jean made his professional debut in the National Football League (NFL) in 1922 with the Akron Pros. He later played for the Green Bay Packers, Frankford Yellow Jackets, Pottsville Maroons and Milwaukee Badgers over the course of his career. In 1927, after playing in just two games with the Maroons, Jean travelled to Portsmouth, Ohio to join a team fielded by Jim Thorpe, called the Portsmouth Shoe-Steels. There played also served as line coach. By the end of November though, Thorpe left the team and the head coaching duties went straight to Jean.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Gill |first=Bob |title=Thorpe's Farewell Season |url=https://profootballresearchers.com/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/15-03-518.pdf |journal=The Coffin Corner |publisher=Professional Football Researchers Association |volume=15 |issue=3 |year=1993 |pages=1–5 |access-date=September 12, 2024 }}</ref> Jean coached the Portsmouth Spartans as the head coach for the 1928 and 1929 seasons.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Becker |first1=Carl |title=The Game Not Played, the Championship Not Won: Packers vs. Spartans, 1931 |url=https://www.profootballresearchers.org/archives/Website_Files/Coffin_Corner/19-06-721.pdf |website=The Coffin Corner |access-date=7 January 2025}}</ref>
==Later life, death, and legacy== In 1926, Jean founded the Algeen Chemical company, an embalming supply business in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with E. L. Allen.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Embalmers' Supplies Will Be Made |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/194060064/ |newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette |location=Green Bay, Wisconsin |date=January 22, 1926 |page=13|access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> Jean was married to Florence Hiddesen of Dayton. He and Florence moved to Minneola, Florida, in 1951. Florence died 1960.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Deaths; Mrs. Florence Hiddesen LeJean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/orlando-evening-star-obituary-for-floren/194061425/ |newspaper=Orlando Evening Star |location=Orlando, Florida |date=October 25, 1960 |page=9B |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> Jean died on March 27, 1961, at his summer residence in Jacksonport, Wisconsin.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Death Takes Former Packer Walter LeJean |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette-obituary-for-wal/194018771/ |newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette |location=Green Bay, Wisconsin |date=March 28, 1961 |page=22 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Le Jean Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/beaver-dam-daily-citizen/194018598/ |newspaper=Beaver Dam Daily Citizen |location=Beaver Dam, Wisconsin |agency=United Press International |date=March 29, 1961 |page=7 |access-date=March 23, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>
Jean was the last player from Tiffin University to play in the NFL until Nate Washington of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bouchette |first=Ed |authorlink=Ed Bouchette |title=Washington bound for bigger role (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette/155151645/ |newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |date=August 5, 2006 |page=C6 |access-date=September 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>
==Head coaching record== ===College=== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Bowling Green Normals | conf = Independent | startyear = 1920 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1920 | name = Bowling Green | overall = 1–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Bowling Green | overall = 1–4 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 1–4 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=NCAA Statistics; Coach; Walter Jean |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/29143 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=March 23, 2026 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Footballstats |nfl=walt-lejean |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |si= |pfr=L/LeJeWa20 |rotoworld= }} * {{Find a Grave}}
{{Bowling Green Falcons football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jean, Walt}} Category:1898 births Category:1961 deaths Category:American football centers Category:American football fullbacks Category:American football guards Category:American football tackles Category:Akron Pros players Category:Bethany Bison football players Category:Bowling Green Falcons football coaches Category:Frankford Yellow Jackets players Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:Milwaukee Badgers players Category:Pottsville Maroons players Category:Tiffin University alumni Category:Heidelberg Student Princes football players Category:People from Door County, Wisconsin Category:People from Lake County, Florida Category:Players of American football from Dayton, Ohio Category:Coaches of American football from Ohio