09/05/2026
Palmerton football coach doesn’t miss a beat after double-bypass heart surgery-The Morning Call
Chris Walkowiak just landed a career-best, 23-inch brown trout while in his happy place, knee-deep in his favorite fishing hole. Then his cell phone rang on Feb. 12.It was Michael Obert, Walkowiak’s certified nurse practitioner, who had one simple question: “Where are you?” Walkowiak was not quick to give up his favorite fishing hole. Obert’s next question was another simple one: “How far are you from your car? ”Walkowiak responded, “I’m not giving you my fishing spot!” Obert’s repeated questioning, though, led to bells going off in Walkowiak’s head. Finally, Obert told him to get to the nearest hospital as soon as he could. He instructed Walkowiak to text him when he got to his car and then the hospital, Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Carbon campus.
The weight of the moment — and the doctor’s questions — were not lost on Walkowiak. Obert ordered a stress test and troponin blood test at Health Network Lab. The next day’s test revealed heart damage. A heart catherization followed on Feb. 16, which showed multiple arterial blockages. Double-bypass surgery followed on Feb. 20. Walkowiak was out of LVHN Cedar Crest a week later. Eight days after that, he was supervising a Palmerton football workout in the school weight room.
Now 51, he didn’t miss many offseason workouts, led the Blue Bombers throughout preseason drills and was back in charge on the sidelines of their heart-stopping, 34-33 victory in the regular-season opener at Marian Catholic thanks to Cal Young’s two-point conversion with 1 minute, 44 seconds left. Palmerton overcame three double-digit deficits in its 2026 opener, scoring the game’s final 16 points in the fourth quarter. “Week 1 was a good test for the heart,” Walkowiak said. ” I was actually calmer on the sidelines more than usual, not because I was worried about anything with my heart. If anything, I have more energy than ever. “However, a dramatic come-from-behind win was just making sure all was good, and it was another test to pass. Trust me, I have enough people watching over me to make sure I’m not doing anything out of the norm. ”Walkowiak feels as normal as possible less than nine months after surgery.
He has adjusted his diet, though it was not poor previously. He continues to work out. The ninth-grade U.S. history teacher is in the classroom for the 28th year at Jim Thorpe and in his 16th year as head coach at Palmerton. “Just to be able to have him here, like it was normal,” his son, Jacob, a Palmerton senior, said. “I think it’s for the best. That’s how things should have worked out. After everything he went through, I think it’s made this team even better, because he has the energy of a 30-year-old again. ”Walkowiak’s offseason workout routine last year was continually abbreviated on the elliptical or stationary bike after about 12 minutes because of a strong burning in the chest like you would get if you inhaled really cold air. It stopped as soon as he stopped the cardio routine. Nothing else triggered that sensation. He also had reflux symptoms. He then lifted weights after his cardio workout without incident. Finally, Obert recommended the stress test and blood test for Walkowiak.
Results of that triggered the phone call to Walkowiak while wearing waders capturing his record-size fish. Walkowiak was not surprised by his heart trouble considering his father and grandfather experienced similar problems. Father Clem Walkowiak was 68 when he had double bypass. Grandfather Clement Walkowiak had quintuple bypass surgery at 55. Walkowiak was 50 when he had his. But he did his best not to stress about the surgery; rather, he focused on preparing and educating his three sons about the genetic condition. Chris, 22, is a recent Cornell graduate who works in Manhattan and lives in New Jersey. Cody is a 20-year-old in his third year at Penn State. Jacob, 17, is weighing his college options.
When the time came for Dr. Jeffrey Veluz to perform the bypass procedure, Walkowiak wanted his three sons staying in their routines rather than sit around a hospital. He then worked toward regaining his normal life with surgery, rehabilitation, diet and exercise. Debbie Walkowiak, his wife of 24 years, was responsible for juggling everything else to keep the family ship running smoothly. “She was amazing during every aspect of this experience and instrumental to making my recovery a success,” Walkowiak said. “I’m extremely grateful for what she does for our family every day. ”Returning to the offseason routine with the football program and to the classroom after 10 weeks were significant mental hurdles for Walkowiak, whose passion for both has not waned.
This year’s Blue Bombers have nearly a dozen seniors who had been through the ups of reaching a District 11 championship game followed by two consecutive losing seasons. There also is a group of talented freshmen coming off an unbeaten season. There was 83% attendance for the summer workouts, a sign that this group was dedicated to the program and one another. They also bonded with community projects, including a flags in the park project around the July 4 holiday in which only a small handful of players were needed; 20 showed up without being asked “Trust and commitment are the basics of any relationship foundation,” Walkowiak said. “It starts with attendance. The kids know I’m going to show up. The coaches are, too. The kids have bought in.”Walkowiak suffered no significant setback in his recovery. Being around his students and players provided the kind of emotional energy and stability he needed following the surgery.“I think I used to take things for granted,” he said. “As much as I can as a head coach, I’m trying to enjoy every little thing. Being able to compartmentalize and focus on the relationships, no matter the wins and losses, I can say that these kids are becoming fine young men. There was never a second that I thought I wasn’t going to come back to coaching.”Jacob Walkowiak is the only one of the three brothers who played football for their father. He has been instrumental in helping as a senior leader making sure the little things are taken care of before, during and after practices. He has done things without being asked, taking on tasks and responsibilities of a student coach.He also was the man of the house while his father was having surgery and recovering. A pending snowstorm meant Jacob had to handle snow removal. He got a FaceTime session with his father on how to use the family snow blower.
Other senior Blue Bombers have chipped in, too. They also have made sure to keep coach Walkowiak in line. Walkowiak received a message via Jacob from fellow senior Connor Lawless, after surgery. It was a reminder of what the coach often reminded his players. “‘Lock in, no bull #$ #%&’ the text read,” Walkowiak recalled. “That’s what I tell them. That told me a lot about this senior group and their maturity. “I look at all the other players as an extension of my family. I view them as my kids, too. I’m going to coach them all the same way. ”The Blue Bombers are focused on all the little things that make a difference, allow for progress and, eventually, success.“If you don’t love competition, well, then, you’re in trouble,” Walkowiak said. “Every day, you wake up, you’re competing, so it’s against somebody else, or just yourself, getting yourself out of bed. Right? And motivated to eat the right way, or exercise. “If I fight that every day, …”You live to coach and teach another day, which is motivating Walkowiak to get out of bed every day.
By Tom Housenick | [email protected] | The Morning Call
