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.jpg) Walker in 2013 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | March 3, 1962 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 225 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Johnson County (Wrightsville, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Georgia (1980–1982) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1985 / Round: 5 / Pick: 114 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia.
Walker played college football at the University of Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior.[1] He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) and was the league's MVP during its final season in 1985. After the USFL folded, Walker joined the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, earning consecutive Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors from 1987 to 1988. In 1989, Walker was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, which is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history and credited with establishing the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s. He was later a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants before retiring with the Cowboys. Walker was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
Outside of football, Walker was a member of the United States' bobsleigh team at the 1992 Winter Olympics and pursued business ventures in food processing. From 2019 to 2020, he served as a co-chair on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition under President Donald Trump. Walker launched his first political campaign in Georgia's 2022 Senate election, which he lost to incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock.[2]
Early life and education
Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Willis and Christine Walker. He was raised in Wrightsville, Georgia.[3] He was one of seven children. Walker said that as a child, he was overweight and had a stutter.[4][5]
Walker attended Johnson County High School in Wrightsville, where he played football, basketball, and competed in track. He played for the Johnson County Trojans high school football team from 1976 to 1979. In his senior year, he rushed for 3,167 yards, helping the Trojans win their first state championship.[6] He was awarded the inaugural Dial Award as 1979 national high school scholar-athlete of the year.[7]
Walker also competed on the Trojans track and field team in events ranging from the 100-yard dash to the shot put.[8] He won the shot put, 100-yard dash, and 220-yard dash events at the Georgia High School Association T&F State Championships. He also anchored the 4×400 team to victory. [citation needed]
In his 2008 autobiography, Walker wrote that he was the Beta Club president and class valedictorian at Johnson County High School.[9] In December 2021, Walker's Senate campaign website claimed he graduated as the valedictorian of the entire high school, but CNN found no evidence for this claim.[9] The claim on Walker's website was later removed and amended to state that Walker graduated high school "top of his class".[9]
Starting in 2017, Walker has made the false claim that he had graduated from University of Georgia "in the top 1% of his class".[9] In fact, he did not graduate, and left college to join the USFL.[10] He did not return to complete his degree.[11][9] In December 2021, Walker's Senate campaign website deleted the assertions about his education after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution inquired about it, with Walker acknowledging in a statement that he left the university prior to graduation to play professional football.[12] Walker later falsely asserted he never said he graduated from the university.[11]
Walker played running back and ran on the track and field team for the University of Georgia, where he was a three-time unanimous All-American (football and track), and winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award.[13] He is the first NCAA player who played only three years to finish in the top 10 in rushing yards, a mark later tied by Jonathan Taylor.[citation needed] During his freshman season in 1980, Walker set the NCAA freshman rushing record which was later broken by Taylor. Walker finished third in Heisman voting. Walker was the first "true freshman" to become a first-team All-American.[14] As a freshman, he played a major role in helping Georgia go undefeated and win the de facto national championship with a victory over Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. In 1999, Walker was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.[13]
College statistics
| Season | Team | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | TD | ||||
| 1980 | Georgia | 274 | 1,616 | 5.9 | 76 | 15 | 7 | 70 | 1 | ||
| 1981 | Georgia | 385 | 1,891 | 4.9 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 84 | 2 | ||
| 1982 | Georgia | 335 | 1,752 | 5.2 | 59 | 16 | 5 | 89 | 1 | ||
| Career | 994 | 5,259 | 5.3 | 76 | 49 | 26 | 243 | 4 | |||
Professional career
United States Football League
Walker signed with the New Jersey Generals in 1983, owned by Oklahoma oil tycoon J. Walter Duncan, who after the 1983 season sold the team to Donald Trump.[15] Walker attracted only one major promotional offer, a joint project of McDonald's and Adidas.
National Football League
Dallas Cowboys (first stint)
The Dallas Cowboys, aware of Walker's earlier interest in playing for them, acquired Walker's NFL rights by selecting him in the fifth round (114th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft.[16]
In 1986, he was signed by the Cowboys and moved to fullback, so he could share backfield duties with Tony Dorsett, becoming the second Heisman backfield tandem in NFL history, after George Rogers and Earl Campbell teamed with the 1984 New Orleans Saints. This move created tension, as it would limit Dorsett's playing time, and because Walker's $5 million five-year contract exceeded his $4.5 million five-year contract.[citation needed] Walker rushed for the game-winning touchdown with a minute to play in the 31–28 victory against the New York Giants in the season opener. In the week 15 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had a franchise-record 292 yards of total offense, including the NFL's longest run of the year with an 84-yarder for a touchdown and an 84-yard touchdown reception.[17]
In 1987, Walker complained to Cowboys management about being moved around between three different positions (running back, fullback, wide receiver) and that Dorsett had more carries. He would be the team's main running back, playing in 12 games (11 starts), while registering 891 rushing yards, 715 receiving yards, and 8 touchdowns. Dorsett played in 12 games (6 starts) and had two healthy DNP (Did Not Play), which would make him demand a trade that would send him to the Denver Broncos.[18]
Walker established himself as an NFL running back in 1988, becoming a one-man offense, reaching his NFL career highs of 1,514 rushing yards and 505 receiving yards, while playing seven positions: halfback, fullback, tight end, H-back, wide receiver, both in the slot and as a flanker.[19] He became the 10th player in NFL history to amass more than 2,000 combined rushing and receiving yards in a season. In the process he achieved two consecutive Pro Bowls (1987 and 1988).[20][21]
In 1989, the Cowboys traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for a total of five players (linebacker Jesse Solomon, defensive back Issiac Holt, running back Darrin Nelson, linebacker David Howard, defensive end Alex Stewart) and six future draft picks. The five players were tied to potential draft picks Minnesota would give Dallas if a player was cut (which led to Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, and Darren Woodson).
Minnesota Vikings
Walker's trade to Minnesota was initially considered by many as supplying the Vikings with the "missing piece" for a Super Bowl run; however, over time, as the Cowboys' fortunes soared and the Vikings' waned, it became viewed as, perhaps, the most lopsided trade in NFL history.[22][23][24] From the moment he arrived in Minneapolis, "Herschel Mania" erupted. After a 2½ hour practice where he studied 12 offensive plays, Walker debuted against the Green Bay Packers.
He received three standing ovations from the record Metrodome crowd of 62,075, producing a Vikings win after four successive losses and 14 of the prior 18 games with the Packers. Scout.com says, "Walker was never used properly by the coaching brain trust."[25] "Herschel the Turkey", a mock honor given out by the Star Tribune newspaper to inept Minnesota sports personalities, is named for him.[26]
Philadelphia Eagles
After three seasons in Minnesota, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Walker in 1992 hoping he would help them reach the Super Bowl. That year, he rushed 267 times for 1,070 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns to go along with 38 receptions for 278 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns as the Eagles advanced to the Divisional Round before being eliminated.[27][28]
In the 1993 season, Walker rushed 174 times for 746 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He was a significant part of the receiving game for the 8–8 Eagles with 75 receptions for 610 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.[29][30]
In 1994 he became the first NFL player to have one-play gains of 90 or more yards rushing, receiving and kick-returning in a single season. He spent three seasons in Philadelphia, leaving after the Eagles signed free agent Ricky Watters.
New York Giants
The New York Giants signed Walker in 1995 to a three-year contract worth $4.8 million[31] as a third-down back. Walker led the Giants with 45 kick returns at 21.5 yards per return in 1995, his only season with the team.[32]
Dallas Cowboys (second stint)
In 1996, he rejoined the Dallas Cowboys as a kickoff return specialist and third-down back. He also played fullback, but primarily as a ball-handler instead of a blocker out of I-Form and pro-sets. Walker retired at the end of the 1997 season.
Professional statistics
USFL
| USFL career stats | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Generals | ||||||||||||||||
| Year | Rushing | Receiving | Kick returns | 2Pt | ||||||||||||
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1983 | 412 | 1,812 | 4.4 | 80 | 17 | 53 | 489 | 9.2 | 65 | 1 | 3 | 69 | 23.0 | 27 | 0 | 1 |
| 1984 | 293 | 1,339 | 4.6 | 69 | 16 | 40 | 528 | 13.2 | 50 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1985 | 438 | 2,411 | 5.5 | 88 | 21 | 37 | 467 | 12.6 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1,143 | 5,562 | 4.9 | 88 | 54 | 130 | 1,484 | 11.4 | 68 | 7 | 3 | 69 | 23.0 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
NFL
| NFL career stats | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | Kick returns | ||||||||||||
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 1986 | DAL | 16 | 151 | 737 | 4.9 | 84 | 12 | 76 | 837 | 11.0 | 84 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | DAL | 12 | 209 | 891 | 4.3 | 60 | 7 | 60 | 715 | 11.9 | 44 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | DAL | 16 | 361 | 1,514 | 4.2 | 38 | 5 | 53 | 505 | 9.5 | 50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1989 | DAL | 5 | 81 | 246 | 3.0 | 20 | 2 | 22 | 261 | 11.9 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| MIN | 11 | 169 | Zdroj:https://en.wikipedia.org?pojem=Herschel_Walker|||||||||||||||