2026 SPECIAL SESSION I
ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 2057
Celebrating the life of Walter Warfield Rock.
Agreed to by the Senate, June 22, 2026
WHEREAS, Walter Warfield Rock of Williamsburg, a standout former member of the Washington Redskins in the National Football League who went on to become a trusted local business leader in Northern Virginia, died on May 19, 2026; and
WHEREAS, Walter “Walt” Rock grew up in Ohio and distinguished himself as a multisport athlete at Elyria High School, where he began to cultivate his reputation for toughness and physicality on the football field and basketball court; he was later inducted into the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame with its inaugural class in 1972; and
WHEREAS, Walt Rock matriculated at the University of Maryland and played on both the offensive and defensive lines for the school's football team; in 1962, he earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team honors and the Defensive Lineman Coaches Award from team staff; and
WHEREAS, in 1963, Walt Rock was drafted by both the Kansas City Chiefs, then part of the American Football League, and the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL); and
WHEREAS, Walt Rock chose to sign with the San Francisco 49ers and spent four seasons with the team while often flying across the country to help support his family's garage door installation business in Northern Virginia; and
WHEREAS, in 1968, Walt Rock was traded to the Washington Redskins, now known as the Washington Commanders, and started at right or left tackle on the offensive line over the next six seasons, an era when the team was known as the Over the Hill Gang for its significant number of veteran players; and