sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Herschel Walker (born March 3, 1962) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He is the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia.[1][2]

Herschel Walker

Walker in 2018
No. 34
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1962-03-03) March 3, 1962 (age 60) Wrightsville, Georgia
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
New Jersey Generals (1983–1985) Dallas Cowboys (1986–1989) Minnesota Vikings (1989–1991) Philadelphia Eagles (1992–1994) New York Giants (1995) Dallas Cowboys (1996–1997)
Career highlights and awards
2× Second-team All-Pro (1987, 1988) 2× Pro Bowl (1987, 1988) 1985 USFL MVP 2× All-USFL (1983, 1985) National champion (1980) Heisman Trophy (1982) Maxwell Award (1982) Walter Camp Award (1982) Sporting News Player of the Year (1982) UPI Player of the Year (1982) 3× SEC Player of the Year (1980–1982) 3× Unanimous All-American (1980–1982) 3× First-team All-SEC (1980–1982) Georgia Bulldogs No. 34 retired
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 8,225 Rushing average: 4.2 Rushing touchdowns: 61 Receptions: 512 Receiving yards: 4,859 Receiving touchdowns: 21
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Walker played college football at the University of Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior. 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 concluding his career with a second stint on 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 competed in mixed martial arts (MMA) fights with Strikeforce from 2010 to 2011. From 2018 to 2020, he served 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 and won the Republican nomination with 68% of the vote. He will face incumbent Democratic senator Raphael Warnock in the general election.

Early life

Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia, to parents 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 struggled with stuttering.[4][5]

High school career

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 was selected as Athlete-Scholar delegate by the American Academy of Achievement in June 1980 and received the academy's Golden Plate Award from Council member Coach Tom Landry at a ceremony in 1981.[8][9][10]

On July 4, 2017, during Wrightsville's annual Fourth of July celebration and parade, Trojan Way, the street where Johnson County High School resides, was officially renamed Herschel Walker Drive.[11]

In his 2008 autobiography, Walker wrote that during his stint in Johnson County High School, he was the Beta Club president (which required average "A" grades) and class valedictorian.[12] In December 2021, Walker's Senate campaign website claimed that he graduated as the valedictorian of the entire high school, but CNN found no evidence for this claim.[12] The claim on Walker's website was later removed and amended to state that Walker graduated high school "top of his class".[12]

Track and field

Also a standout athlete, Walker competed on the Trojans track and field team in events ranging from the 100-yard dash to the shot put.[13] He won the shot put (16.56m/54 ft 4in), 100-yard dash (9.5s), and 220-yard dash (21.5s) events at the GHSA Class A State T&F Championships. He also anchored the 4×400 team to victory, with a time of 3:24.01 minutes.[14]

Walker also competed as a sprinter at the University of Georgia, where he was a two-time All-American selection. He was All-American in 1981 on the 4 × 100 m relay and again in 1982 in the indoor 60-yard dash.[15] He was a member of the SEC champion 4 × 100 m relay squad in 1981.[16] He ran the 100 meters in a personal record of 10.23 seconds in 1982 and 10.10 seconds wind-assisted. He improved his high school 100-yard dash time of 9.5 to 9.3 seconds. He also competed in the 55-meter dash in 1983, recording a time of 6.11 seconds.[17]

College career

Walker had previously stated, starting in 2017, that he had graduated from University of Georgia "in the top 1% of his class".[12] In fact, he did not graduate, and left college to join the NFL.[18] He did not return to complete his degree.[19][12] 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 without graduating to play professional football.[20] Walker later asserted that he never said he graduated from the university.[21]

Walker played running back and ran on the track and field team for the University of Georgia, where he was a three-time All-American (football and track) and winner of the 1982 Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award. 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. During his freshman season in 1980, Walker set the NCAA freshman rushing record (later broken by Taylor) and finished third in Heisman voting. Walker was the first "true freshman" to become a first-team All-American.[22]

He played a major role in helping Georgia avoid defeat that year and win the national championship with a victory over Notre Dame in the 1981 Sugar Bowl.[23] He won the Heisman as a junior.[24] In 1999, Walker was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.[25]

1980 season

Walker, listed as a 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 222 lb (101 kg) running back, was the most sought after high school football player in the nation and signed a national letter of intent to play for the University of Georgia Bulldogs on Easter Sunday, April 6, 1980.[26] Mike Cavan helped provide head coach Vince Dooley with his prized recruit.[27]^: 73–89

The season began with sophomore Carnie Norris starting ahead of Walker at tailback as the Bulldogs faced the University of Tennessee on September 6 in Knoxville. With Tennessee gaining a 9–0 lead early in the 2nd quarter, coach Dooley told his offensive coordinator, "I'm putting Herschel in...Don't be afraid to let him carry the ball."^{[citation needed]}

Tennessee held a 15–2 advantage late in the third quarter when Walker changed the momentum of the game. Late in the third quarter, Walker scored on a counter from 16 yards out, where he ran over safety and future Dallas Cowboys teammate Bill Bates near the goal line.[28] Walker scored again five minutes later on a 9-yard touchdown run as Georgia went on to win the game, 16–15.[27]^: 73–89

A week later, Georgia faced Texas A&M at home and Walker finished with 21 carries for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. Quarterback Buck Belue complemented Walker's ground game by going 6 of 13 for 147 passing yards during the contest.[27]^: 203 The Bulldogs had a 28–0 lead by halftime. With four minutes left in the third quarter, Walker broke off a 76-yard touchdown run.[29]

In the games that followed, Georgia raced to a 6–0 start by knocking off Clemson (20–16), TCU (34–3), Ole Miss (28–21), and Vanderbilt (41–0). Walker ran for 121 yards against Clemson and 69 more versus TCU—including a 41-yard run. He missed much of the Ole Miss game with an injury.[30][31] In the Vandy game on October 18, Walker had 23 rushes for a career-high 283 yards, scoring on long touchdown runs of 80, 48, and 53 yards.[27]^: 204–07 The special teams and defense gave Georgia the upper hand in the two weekends that followed and helped the Bulldogs get past Kentucky (27–0) and South Carolina (13–10). The win in Athens, Georgia over South Carolina on November 1 featured Walker and the Gamecock's soon-to-be 1980 Heisman Trophy winner, George Rogers. Walker rushed 43 times for 219 yards, while Rogers had 168 yards on 35 carries.[27]^: 209 Georgia got out to a strong 10–0 lead after a 76-yard touchdown run by Walker. By the 3rd quarter, the Bulldogs were up 13–0 and held on to beat the Gamecocks 13–10.

Georgia was 8–0 and now coach Vince Dooley's Bulldogs faced their most daunting task all year. The second-ranked Bulldogs faced a 6–1 Florida Gators team in Jacksonville on November 8. Walker carried Georgia's offense, rushing 37 times for 238 yards against the Gators.[27]^{: 114–59, 210}He started things off early in the 1st quarter by taking a toss sweep to the right and running 72 yards for the Dawgs first touchdown. Georgia extended its lead to 20–10 late in the 3rd quarter before Florida began to mount its comeback. The Gators scored 11 unanswered points and took the lead 21–20. With less than a minute and a half left in the 4th quarter, Georgia was 3rd-and-11 on their own 7 1/2-yard line. QB Buck Belue dropped back to pass and found WR Lindsay Scott who outran the Gator defense for a 93-yard touchdown, giving Georgia the win, 26–21.[32] The game would be affectionately referred to as the "Miracle on Duval Street".[33]

Georgia clinched the SEC Championship on November 15 by taking out Auburn on the road, 31–21. Walker did most of the work by rushing 27 times for 84 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown. Two weeks later, Walker ended the regular season with an exclamation point by scoring on touchdown runs of 1, 23, and 65 yards as Georgia defeated in-state rival Georgia Tech, 38–20. Walker rushed 25 times for 205 yards against the Ramblin' Wreck.^{[citation needed]}

The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 at 11–0 as they were invited to play a traditional football power, coach Dan Devine's Notre Dame Fighting Irish (9–1–1) in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La. on January 1, 1981.[27]^{: 160–69, 211–12}Walker, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder very early in the game, managed to rush 36 times for 150 yards, including a longest run of 23 yards.[27]^{: 170–90, 213}With the score tied 3–3, Notre Dame failed to properly field a kickoff. Two plays later, Walker dove over the top for a 1-yard touchdown run to give UGA a 10–3 lead. He took advantage of more Irish misfortune as a Notre Dame fumble set Georgia up at the Irish 22-yard line. Three plays later, Walker was in the end zone again for a 17–3 lead. Georgia held on to win, 17–10.[27]^: 170–90

At the season's conclusion, Walker helped his Georgia Bulldogs complete a 12–0 record as the Associated Press voted the University of Georgia No. 1 with 58½ first-place votes to Pittsburgh's 3½. Walker and his teammates were also voted No. 1 by the United Press International Poll—which listed Georgia with 36 first-place votes to Pitt's three.[27]^{: 190, 201}

1981 season

The momentum of the 1980 season continued into September 1981 for the Georgia Bulldogs as Walker and company took control early in the season by scoring early and often in wins against Tennessee (44–0) and the Cal Golden Bears (27–13). Against the Volunteers, Walker rushed for 161 yards on 30 carries.[n 1] Walker pounded California by rushing 35 times for 167 yards on September 12.[34]

After hitting a dip in the season, losing 13–3 to eventual national champion Clemson, Georgia regained its focus and won out to get to 10–1 by the regular season's end. Even though Walker was able to push, shove, and get through Clemson's defense by rushing 28 times for 111 yards, it wasn't enough to overcome 9 turnovers (including 2 by Walker)[35] by the Bulldogs in the loss to the Tigers.[36] Georgia rebounded by blanking South Carolina, 24–0, on September 26 as the sophomore Walker ran for 176 yards on 36 carries. Georgia led just 3–0 at the half, and Walker opened things up for the Bulldogs in the third quarter by scoring on touchdown runs of 3 and 8 yards to put the Gamecocks away.[37]

The Bulldogs reeled off solid wins—all in October—over Ole Miss (37–7), Vanderbilt (53–21), Kentucky (21–0), and Temple (49–3). Walker rushed for a season-high 265 yards on 41 attempts and a touchdown against Ole Miss on October 10. A week later, Walker rushed 39 times for 188 yards and 2 touchdowns versus Vanderbilt. Against Temple, he scored a career-high 4 touchdowns while rushing 23 times for 112 yards.^{[citation needed]}

On November 7, seventh-ranked Georgia and Walker got behind, 14–0 in Jacksonville, to the Florida Gators, but came back to win in a repeat score of last season's game, 26–21. Walker rushed a career-high 47 times for 192 yards while scoring four touchdowns.[38] The Bulldogs finished out the regular season at home against nearby rivals: the Auburn Tigers (November 14) and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (December 5). The 24–13 win over coach Pat Dye's Tigers clinched another SEC championship. Walker pounded out 165 yards on 37 rushes during the contest.[n 2] In the third quarter, Walker's 2-yard touchdown run gave the Bulldogs a commanding 24–7 lead. Against Georgia Tech, Walker finished with 36 rushes for 225 yards and 4 touchdowns in the rivalry matchup.[40] The Bulldogs got out to a 34–0 halftime lead.[n 3] Walker scored three touchdowns in the first half. He added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter as Georgia cruised past the Yellow Jackets, 44–7.

Riding an 8-game winning streak, Georgia (10–1) was ranked No. 2 in the country when they faced Pittsburgh (also 10–1, ranked No. 10) in the 1982 Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs came up short in the loss, 20–24.[41] Walker finished with 25 rushes for 84 yards and led UGA in receptions with 3 catches for 53 yards.[41][42] He made his presence felt early as he bolted 8 yards for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter giving Georgia a 7–0 lead. After a 30-yard, Dan Marino touchdown pass lifted Pitt to a 10–7 lead in the third quarter, Walker answered, scoring from 10 yards out to give Georgia a 14–10 lead going into the 4th quarter. With Georgia clinging to a 20–17 lead late in the game, Marino found Pittsburgh's receiver John Brown for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 0:35 left in the game.[42]

1982 season

With the season opener against defending national champion Clemson looming, the Bulldogs received bad news when Walker suffered a fractured right thumb in practice on August 21, 1982. He was expected to be out of action for 3–6 weeks.[43] When the two teams met on September 6, Walker wore a bulky, padded cast on his right thumb. In this tight game, Walker was used primarily as a decoy and rushed 11 times for 20 yards. The Georgia defense made up for its injured star by shutting down Clemson, limiting the Tigers to 249 total yards of offense as the Bulldogs prevailed, 13–7.[44]

Georgia next faced a tough test in Brigham Young at home on September 9. Walker, coming back from the thumb injury, rushed 31 times for 124 yards against the Cougars.[45] BYU's Steve Young connected with Scott Collie on a 21-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give Brigham Young a 14–7 lead going into the final period. However, Walker rallied the Bulldogs as he led them on two scoring drives that gave Georgia the win, 17–14.[45] He scored on a 1-yard touchdown run late to tie the game. Later still, Walker converted on a huge 4th-and-1 that enabled Georgia kicker Kevin Butler to make a 44-yard field goal in the game's closing seconds. Walker's game-winning drive of 40 yards to set up Butler's kick covered three minutes in all, and was keyed by his 23-yard breakaway run.[45][46]

After the tough win against BYU, Walker and company won out to finish the regular season. After getting past South Dakota 34–18 on September 25, Georgia rolled during the month of October. Walker's performance against the Gamecocks was modest by his standards (32 rushes, 143 yards, and 1 touchdown), but he ran hard while still wearing his cast.[47]

In October, Georgia faced Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Memphis State. The Bulldogs slipped past Mississippi St., 29–22, as Walker rushed 39 times for 215 yards and a touchdown. Next, Georgia overwhelmed Ole Miss, 33–10, as Walker rushed 24 times for 149 yards and 3 touchdowns. On October 16, Georgia got past Vanderbilt 27–13. Against the Commodores, Walker ran for 172 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries.[n 4]

Georgia finished October by knocking off Kentucky (27–14) and Florida State (34–3) to push its record to 8–0 going into the Florida game in Jacksonville. Walker maintained a heavy load, rushing 34 times against Kentucky for 152 yards. The Wildcats led 10–3 in the second quarter when Walker raced 64 yards to paydirt on a screen pass, cutting the deficit to 14–10.[n 5] Walker finished with 79 receiving yards on 3 catches.[49] In Georgia's matchup with Memphis St., Walker shattered the SEC career scoring record as his third-ranked Bulldogs swept past the Tigers by 31 points. He ran for a season-high 219 yards on 33 carries and 2 touchdowns, extending Memphis St.'s losing streak to 15 games.[50]

Georgia took control against tough opposition during the month of November. They got past Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech to complete a perfect 11–0 regular season, and were the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Walker dismantled Florida by scoring three touchdowns in a 44–0 Georgia rout. He rushed 35 times for 219 yards during this dominating win. "We were ready for this game," Walker said. "We were more fired up than Florida."[51]

Georgia faced the Auburn Tigers on November 13 at Jordan–Hare Stadium in a slugfest. Walker scored on a 20-yard touchdown run within the 4th quarter to give UGA a 19–14 lead. Georgia hung on to win and Walker finished with 31 rushes for 177 yards, including a 47-yard run, and 2 touchdowns.[52]

In the last regular-season game of Walker's career at the University of Georgia, the Yellow Jackets were no match as Georgia raced to a 38–18 win. Walker broke five tackles and sprinted 59 yards for a score in the first quarter. The Bulldogs scored 17 points in the 3rd quarter which included a 1-yard touchdown run by Walker. He finished with 27 rushes for 162 yards against the Rambling Wreck.[53] The victory pitted the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs against the No. 2 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, 1983.

Walker led the way as Georgia wrapped up its third SEC Championship in as many seasons. On December 4, 1982, Walker was awarded the Heisman Trophy. He was accompanied to the ceremony by the University of Georgia's beloved English Bulldog mascot, Uga IV.[n 6]

Walker scored one last time in his UGA career as he fell into the end zone from 1 yard out with 10:37 remaining in the third quarter. That touchdown cut the Penn State lead to three at 20–17. Penn State answered 21 seconds later as quarterback Todd Blackledge completed a 46-yard touchdown pass to wideout Gregg Garrity. Penn State held on to win 27–23, and won the national championship by a unanimous vote in both the AP and UPI polls. Walker rushed 28 times for 102 yards and caught a pass for 15 yards against the Mark Robinson-led PSU defense.[54]

College statistics

	Rushing					Receiving
Year	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	TD
1980	274	1,616	5.9	76	15	7	70	1
1981	385	1,891	4.9	32	18	14	84	2
1982	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

United States Football League rules (unlike the NFL at the time) allowed athletes to turn professional after their junior seasons rather than wait for their collegiate class to graduate a year later. Further, the rules allowed him to choose where to play, allowing him to maximize his endorsement income. He stated, "I don't know if I would want to play in the NFL unless it was for the two New York City teams or the Dallas Cowboys." 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. Walker attracted only one major promotional offer, a joint project of McDonald's and Adidas.

The USFL had initially followed the NFL and banned underclassmen. However, league officials concluded the rule would never stand up in court, and discarded it. To circumvent the league's $1.8-million salary cap, Walker signed a personal services contract with Duncan (later transferred to Trump). Similar arrangements were later made with other college stars. Although this move was challenged in court, Walker and the USFL prevailed.

Walker won the USFL rushing title in 1983 and 1985. Over the course of his USFL career, Walker had 5,562 yards rushing in 1,143 carries, averaging 4.87 yards. In 1983, he rushed for 1,812 yards in 18 games. In his second season, his rushing yardage dropped to 1,339, but he caught passes for more than 500 yards giving him over 1,800 yards in total offense.[55]

In 1985, Walker, who ran for 2,411 yards, won the USFL rushing title by a margin of 1,050 yards over Mike Rozier (who had 1,361 yards), with Bill Johnson (1,261 yards) finishing third, and Gary Anderson and Kelvin Bryant finishing in a dead heat for fourth (with 1,207 yards each).

National Football League

Dallas Cowboys (first stint)

The Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, who were well aware of Walker's earlier interest in playing for them and suspected that the United States Football League (USFL) was not going to last, acquired Walker's NFL rights by selecting him in the fifth round (114th overall) of the 1985 NFL Draft. The USFL eventually succumbed after its technically successful but financially fruitless antitrust suit against the NFL.

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. 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.[56]

In 1987, Walker complained to Cowboys management that he was being moved around between three different positions (running back, fullback, wide receiver) and that Dorsett had more carries. He would take over as 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.[57]

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. He became just 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).

In 1989, at the height of his NFL career, 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). This was claimed to be a turning point in the rise of the Cowboys to the NFL's top echelon.[58]

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.[59][60][61] From the moment he arrived in Minneapolis, "Herschel Mania" erupted. After a single 2½ hour practice where he studied only 12 offensive plays, Walker had a strong debut against the Green Bay Packers. He produced the best rushing game by a Viking back since 1983 and the first over-100 yard rushing performance by a Viking since 1987, gaining 148 yards on 18 carries.

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."[62] "Herschel the Turkey", a mock honor given out by the Star Tribune newspaper to inept Minnesota sports personalities, is named for him.[63] Walker played for the Vikings for two and a half years.

Philadelphia Eagles

After three seasons in Minnesota, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Walker in 1992 hoping he would be the final ingredient they needed to reach the Super Bowl. That year, he enjoyed his best season as a pro since 1988, rushing for 1,070 yards. 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[64] as a third-down back, but soon discovered that Walker wasn't elusive enough for the role. He couldn't play fullback either, because of limited blocking skills. Walker led the Giants with 45 kick returns at 21.5 yards per return in 1995, his only season with the team.

Dallas Cowboys (second stint)

Walker finished his football career with the team that he started his NFL career with, the Cowboys. In 1996, he rejoined the team 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.

Career statistics

USFL statistics

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 statistics

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	669	4.0	47	5	18	162	9.0	24	2	13	374	28.8	93	1
1990	MIN	16	184	770	4.2	58	5	35	315	9.0	52	4	44	966	22.0	64	0
1991	MIN	15	198	825	4.2	71	10	33	204	6.1	32	0	5	83	16.6	21	0
1992	PHI	16	267	1,070	4.0	38	8	38	278	7.3	19	2	3	69	23.0	34	0
1993	PHI	16	174	746	4.3	35	1	75	610	8.1	41	3	11	184	16.7	30	0
1994	PHI	16	113	528	4.7	91	5	50	500	10.0	55	2	21	581	27.7	94	1
1995	NYG	16	31	126	4.1	36	0	31	234	7.5	93	1	41	881	21.5	67	0
1996	DAL	16	10	83	8.3	39	1	7	89	12.7	34	0	27	779	28.9	67	0
1997	DAL	16	6	20	3.3	11	0	14	149	10.6	64	2	50	1,167	23.3	49	0
Career		187	1,954	8,225	4.2	91	61	512	4,859	9.5	93	21	215	5,084	23.6	94	2

Football legacy

Walker rushed for 5,562 yards in his USFL career.[65] His combined rushing numbers for the USFL and the NFL (13,787 yards) would place him 7th all-time on the NFL's career rushing list.[66] His combined all-purpose yards for the USFL and the NFL (25,283 all-purpose yards) would place him 1st All-Time on the NFL's list and 2nd in Pro Football behind Henry "Gizmo" Williams (25,571 all-purpose yards), who played in the CFL, NFL, and USFL. In 12 NFL seasons, Walker gained 8,225 rushing yards, 4,859 receiving yards, and 5,084 kickoff-return yards.[67] for 18,168 total combined net yards, ranking him second among the NFL's all-time leaders in total yardage as of his retirement; as of the start of the 2007 NFL season, ten years later, he still ranked eighth.[68] He scored 84 touchdowns: 61 rushing, 21 receiving and returned two kick-offs for touchdowns.[67] Walker is the only other player besides Derrick Mason to have 10,000+ yards from scrimmage and 5,000+ return yards (all of which were on kickoff returns).

Walker is the only player to gain 4,000 yards three different ways: rushing, receiving and kickoff returns. He is one of several players to exceed 60 touchdowns rushing and 20 touchdowns receiving. He is the only NFL player with a 90+ yard reception, 90+ yard run and a 90+ yard kickoff return in one season (1994). He is the only player to record an 84+ yard touchdown run and an 84+ yard touchdown reception in the same game (December 14, 1986). He had 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving that day.

In 1999, he was selected to Sports Illustrated's NCAA Football All-Century Team.[69] Walker was selected as the third greatest player in college football history by ESPN.[70] Georgia retired Walker's number "34".

While Walker had a successful NFL career, he never played on a championship team. The move to Minnesota was the turning point in his NFL tenure. In 2008, the trade was selected by SI.com as the worst sports trade of all time. It was the subject of an episode of ESPN Classic's The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame.... In 2003 Johnson County High School named its football field in his honor.[71] Walker was a popular and visible personality, even in his college days, as evidenced by the fact that both a thoroughbred and a standardbred race horse were named after him, the former while he was still in college. He made several appearances in the sports documentary Damn Good Dog (2004).[72]^{[better source needed]}

On January 29, 2011, Walker announced that he was considering a return to the NFL. "I've told everyone that at 50 I might try football again to show people I can do that," Walker said. "I want to be the George Foreman of football, come back and do that one more time... The two teams I would come back to play for are Minnesota or Atlanta. It would probably be Atlanta because that's home for me." According to Walker, his mixed martial arts training made him, "a much better-conditioned athlete now than when I was playing football. I'm 48 and in better shape now than I was when I was in my early 20s, playing football."[73]

Sporting life outside football

Walker has participated in a variety of sports besides football, including mixed martial arts, Olympic bobsledding, track and field, and taekwondo.

Olympic bobsleigh

While still an active NFL player, Walker competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, as a member of the United States' bobsleigh team. Originally selected for the four-man team, he eventually competed as the brakeman (or pusher) in the two-man competition.[74][75] Walker and his teammate Brian Shimer placed seventh; see complete results in bobsleigh at the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Mixed martial arts career

Herschel Walker
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 16 st)
Division	Heavyweight
Reach	74.0 in (188 cm)
Style	Kickboxing, American Kickboxing, TKD, Boxing
Team	American Kickboxing Academy
Rank	5th-degree black belt in Taekwondo
Years active	2010–2011
Mixed martial arts record
Total	2
Wins	2
By knockout	2
Losses	0
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

In November 2007, Walker appeared on the HDNet show Inside MMA as a guest. He indicated that he would take part in a mixed martial arts reality show in the near future (along with José Canseco) and that he would have an official MMA fight at the conclusion of the show.[76] In September 2009, it was announced that Walker had been signed by MMA promotion company Strikeforce to compete in their heavyweight division at the age of 47.[77]

He began a 12-week training camp with trainer "Crazy" Bob Cook at the American Kickboxing Academy in October 2009 in San Jose, California.[78][79] In his MMA debut on January 30, 2010, Walker defeated Greg Nagy via technical knock-out due to strikes at Strikeforce: Miami.[80][81] According to Scott Coker, the Strikeforce CEO, Walker pledged to donate his fight purse to charity.[82] Scott Coker announced Walker would fight again on December 4, 2010, in St. Louis, Missouri.[83]

Strikeforce confirmed that Walker would face former WEC fighter Scott Carson when he made his second appearance in the Strikeforce cage.[84] Walker was forced off the Strikeforce card on December 4 due to a cut suffered in training that required seven stitches. They fought instead on January 29, 2011, and Walker defeated Carson via TKO (strikes) at 3:13 of round 1.[85]

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
2 matches	2 wins	0 losses
By knockout	2	0
By submission	0	0
By decision	0	0

Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Win	2–0	Scott Carson	TKO (punches)	Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg	January 29, 2011	1	3:13	San Jose, California, United States
Win	1–0	Greg Nagy	TKO (punches)	Strikeforce: Miami	January 30, 2010	3	2:17	Sunrise, Florida, United States

Other athletic involvement

Walker has a fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo.[86]

In 1988, while a member of the Dallas Cowboys, he danced with the Fort Worth Ballet for a single performance.[87] He won back-to-back American Superstars competitions in 1987 and 1988. ^{[citation needed]}

Business activities

In 1984, Walker franchised a D'Lites fast food restaurant in Athens, Georgia.[88]

In 1999, Walker created Renaissance Man Food Services, which distributes chicken products. Originally, his producer was Sysco Corp. following a casual conversation with a Sysco vice president who asked him to provide some chicken-breading recipes from his mother.[89][90] He founded Savannah-based H. Walker Enterprises in 2002 as an umbrella company for most of his other business ventures, the largest of which was Renaissance Man Food Services.[91]

Walker has a history of exaggerating the number of people employed by and the assets of his companies; the failure of several business enterprises led to creditors bringing lawsuits.[91][92] Walker touted Renaissance Man Food Services as one of the largest minority-owned meat processors in the nation, with $70 million in annual sales.[91][90][89] In subsequent deposition testimony in a lawsuit, however, Walker gave far lower figures, saying that his company averaged about $1.5 million in annual profits from 2008 and 2017.[92]

Walker has touted Renaissance Man Food Services as a "mini-Tyson Foods", and also said that the company controlled multiple chicken processing plants.[91][93] However, in a 2018 declaration submitted in a legal case against his company, Walker acknowledged that the company did not actually own any chicken processing plants and instead partnered with plant owners to sell branded chicken products.[91] Walker's business associates later testified that Walker licensed his name to the chicken-related enterprise.[92]

In 2009, Walker told the media that Renaissance Man Food Services had over 100 employees.[91] In 2018, Walker told the media that Renaissance Man Food Services had "over 600 employees."[91][94] In 2020, Renaissance Man Food Services informed the U.S. government that it had eight employees.[91][92] The Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggested that Walker's overestimate of employees could "refer to chicken processing jobs, which are not actually part of Walker’s business".[91]

In April 2020, Renaissance Man Food Services applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,[95] and the company ultimately received two PPP loans totaling $180,000 (of which $111,300 was forgiven).[91] On Twitter in April 2020, Walker mocked "big companies" that received PPP money, suggesting that they were "giving back" the money due to being "ashamed".[96] This was despite Walker being a board member of the Sotherly Hotel Group, owner of the Georgian Terrace Hotel and other hotels; the group received over $9 million of PPP loans in April 2020 while firing 90% of its hotel staff, according to company documents submitted to the U.S. government.[96] According to government records, Walker was paid $247,227 in total from Sotherly from 2016 to 2021.[96]

Walker said that "part of its corporate charter" was to donate 15% of profits to charites. However, none of the four charities that Walker named as beneficiaries confirmed they actually received any donations.[97]

Political activities

Walker is a Republican. In 2014, Walker appeared in a commercial paid for by the United States Chamber of Commerce supporting Jack Kingston's bid in the Republican primary election for the 2014 U.S. Senate election in Georgia.[98] In 2018, Walker endorsed Republican Brian Kemp for governor of Georgia in that year's election.[99]

Walker supported Donald Trump in the presidential elections of 2016 and 2020,[100] and spoke on Trump's behalf at the 2020 Republican National Convention.[101] In 2018, Trump appointed Walker to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition,[102] a special Government employee position; Trump reappointed him to another two year-term on December 17, 2020.[103] In 2020, Walker endorsed U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, serving as an honorary co-chair of her campaign.[104]

2022 United States Senate election in Georgia

In 2021, Trump encouraged Walker to run for the U.S. Senate in Georgia.[105] Walker, a Texas resident, needed to re-establish residency in Georgia.[106] In August 2021, Walker announced his run for the Senate seat held by Democrat Raphael Warnock.[106] Walker's contemplation of entering the race "froze" the Republican field because other prospective candidates for the nomination waited for his decision.[107][105][108] In June 2021, Walker published a video on Twitter entitled "Georgia on my mind" in which he showcased a car with a Georgia license plate and intimated that he would run.[109] Additionally, Trump said that Walker told him he was going to run for the Senate that month.[110]

In July 2021, Fox News reported that some Georgia Republicans were not sure how effective a candidate Walker would be, citing the fact that his positions on issues of importance to Republican voters were unknown.[111] Despite their reservations, Walker officially entered the race in August 2021. In October 2021, Walker's candidacy was endorsed by Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell in a sign that the Republican establishment was aligning behind him.[1] That month, The Washington Post reported Republicans were coalescing behind Walker's candidacy.[112] Politico reported Walker had begun his campaign with high favorability ratings and support from self-identified moderate Republicans, and that, despite past news coverage of domestic violence allegations and his ambiguous business career, he had become the clear front-runner in the Republican primary.[113]

In March 2022, President Biden asked Walker, as well as Mehmet Oz, to resign from their posts on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition or be terminated. A White House official said the Biden administration does not allow federal candidates to serve on presidential boards.[114]

In June 2022, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that Walker's claims about working in law enforcement were either false or unverifiable. Despite his claim of being an honorary deputy in the Cobb County Police Department, the department did not have any record of Walker working with them.[115] In 2019, Walker said he "spent time at Quantico at the FBI training school" and was "an agent" when, in reality, Walker lacked the bachelor's degree required for FBI training.[115] Previously, in 1989, Walker told the media that he "had fun" while attending an FBI school in Quantico for a week, speaking of an "obstacle course and you shoot at targets".[115]

Walker has been criticized for the quality of his political speeches, using non sequiturs when discussing topics of interest to voters.[116] Many of Walker's statements on the campaign trail have been described as "gaffes"[117] or "head-scratching at best".[118] Chris Cilizza of CNN described Walker as a "walking gaffe machine."[119]

In October 2022, Walker's adult son Christian stated on social media that "every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office because we all knew (some of) his past … He decided to give us the middle finger and air out all of his dirty laundry in public, while simultaneously lying about it".[120][121][122]

Political positions

Abortion rights

In May 2022, Walker stated he opposes abortion, and wants no exceptions to abortion bans. He also called for more money to promote adoption and to support single parents. "You never know what a child is going to become. And I've seen some people, they've had some tough times, but I always said, 'No matter what, tough times make tough people.'"[123][124] When asked about the impact of the issue on the November 2022 election, Walker described abortion rights as among the "things that people are not concerned about".[125] In September 2022, Walker endorsed legislation proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham that would ban abortion except for rape, incest, and the life of the patient after 15 weeks of pregnancy nationwide.[126]

School shootings and gun control

In the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting that resulted in the deaths of 19 children and two teachers, Walker was asked about his position on solutions to school shootings. Walker replied, "Cain killed Abel. You know, and that's a problem that we have. And I say what we need to do is look into how we can stop those things".[118] Walker then said that he supported "a department that can look at young men that's looking at women that's looking at social media".[117] Walker supports increased government spending on mental health care as a partial solution to gun violence. When asked about his position on gun control legislation, he replied "what I like to do is see it and everything and stuff."[117]

2020 presidential election

After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Walker tweeted a video supporting Trump's efforts to overturn the election results.[105] Walker has spread many conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.[127][128] Walker claimed that Biden "didn't get 50 million" votes; Biden indeed received over 80 million votes.[127] Walker alleged that there was "country-wide election fraud" without any evidence and urged Trump and "true patriots" to carry out "a total cleansing" to "prosecute all the bad actors".[127] He urged re-votes in the states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.[127] Walker also spread a conspiracy theory about the 2021 United States Capitol attack, suggesting that it was a "well-planned" distraction from election fraud. The event was actually orchestrated by Trump supporters.[127]

When asked whether Joe Biden had fairly defeated Donald Trump in Georgia, Walker replied, "I have no clue".[129]

Environment

When asked about the Green New Deal environmental program, Walker said that he opposed it because "Since we don't control the air, our good air decided to float over to China's bad air, so when China gets our good air, their bad air got to move," adding, "So it moves over to our good air space. Then, now, we got we to clean that back up."[117] In August 2022, in response to questions about the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes funding to counteract climate change, Walker said, "They continue to try to fool you that they are helping you out. But they’re not". Possibly referring to a provision that allocated $1.5 billion to the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, Walker added, "Because a lot of money, it’s going to trees. Don’t we have enough trees around here?"[130]

Economy

Walker favors reducing federal regulations to boost business. He supports widespread tax cuts, building the Keystone Pipeline and increasing production of fossil fuels. He proposes to "lower healthcare costs by increasing competitive market options".[131] Walker supports putting closed oil fields back into production and rolling back oil-field regulations in order to reduce inflation.[129]

LGBT issues

Walker opposes transgender athletes in women's sports events, stating in September 2022: "Let's get men out of women's sports".[132]

On the above occasion Walker also discussed transgender children, stating: "they're telling the young kids in school, you can be a boy tomorrow even if you're a girl ... But I want the young kids to know you go to heaven. Jesus may not recognize you. Because he made you a boy. He made you a girl."[132]

Asked about same-sex marriage, Walker stated that same-sex marriage was "against stuff I believe in" and that Congress and states should be free to decide the legality of same-sex marriage.[133][134][135]

National security

Walker is in favor of finishing Donald Trump's wall at the border with Mexico. He wants the United States to "heavily invest" in the military.[131]

Personal life

Walker married his college sweetheart, Cindy DeAngelis Grossman, in 1983. They have a son named Christian. After 19 years of marriage, they divorced in 2002.[136]

Walker has two additional sons and a daughter whom he did not publicly acknowledge before his 2022 US Senate campaign; he did so in June 2022, one day after The Daily Beast reported on one of his additional sons.[137] Walker said that month, during a conference, that he "never denied" having four children.[138] The Daily Beast later reported that Walker had lied to his 2022 Senate campaign about how many children he had, while The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported "allies to Walker" stating that Walker had not been honest about how many children he had.[139][140] Walker said that he did not publicly acknowledge his children to prevent exposing them to unwanted attention, and criticized the claim that "I hide my children because I don’t discuss them with reporters to win a campaign"; earlier during his Senate campaigning, Walker repeatedly discussed his relationship with eldest son Christian.[137][141] Prior to publicly acknowledging his other children, in a 2020 interview, Walker said that fatherless households were a "major, major problem" in African-American communities.[137]

In October 2022, The Daily Beast published allegations from a woman who said that Walker got her pregnant and paid for her abortion in 2009 when they were dating.[142] The woman supported the allegation by producing a picture of a personal check from Walker, a get-well card with purported Walker's signature, and a $575 receipt for an abortion.[142][143] The Daily Beast said that it corroborated the story with a friend of the woman, who "took care of her in the days after the procedure".[122] Walker denied the allegations and said he would sue The Daily Beast for defamation.[120] Walker went on to tell the media: "I never asked anyone to get an abortion. I never paid for an abortion"; and when asked about the check, Walker responded: "I give money to people all the time, because I’m always helping people".[122]

Walker lived in Westlake, Texas,[144] before moving to the Buckhead district of Atlanta prior to running for Senate in 2022.[145] He formerly lived in the Las Colinas area of Irving, Texas.[146]

Domestic abuse allegations

In filing for divorce in 2001, Walker's wife accused him of "physically abusive and extremely threatening behavior." After the divorce, she told the media that, during their marriage, Walker pointed a pistol at her head and said: "I'm going to blow your f'ing brains out."[92] She also said he had used knives to threaten her.[147] In 2005, a restraining order was imposed on Walker regarding Grossman, after Grossman's sister stated in an affidavit that Walker told her "unequivocally that he was going to shoot my sister Cindy and her [new] boyfriend in the head."[92] As a result, a temporary gun-owning ban was also issued to Walker by a judge.[92] Walker attributed his aberrant behavior with his wife and others to his dissociative identity disorder for which he was diagnosed in 2001.[147][92]

In October 2022, Walker's adult son Christian publicly accused Walker of having threatened to kill him as well. He addressed Walker on Twitter, stating: "You’re not a 'family man' when you left us to bang a bunch of women, threatened to kill us, and had us move over 6 times in 6 months running from your violence ... how DARE YOU LIE and act as though you’re some 'moral, Christian, upright man' ... You’ve lived a life of DESTROYING other peoples lives."[120][121][122] Soon after Christian made the allegations, Walker wrote on social media: "I LOVE my son no matter what".[120][121][122]

Training and diet

Walker is known for his unorthodox training and dieting methods. Walker sleeps five hours a night and eats only one meal a day (skipping breakfast and lunch). In 2010, Walker said his diet is made up mostly of soup, bread, and salads. Instead of lifting weights, he has a daily regimen of 750 to 1,500 push-ups and 2,000 sit-ups.[148]

A 1981 New York Times Magazine article said his college diet "consisted of Snickers candy bars, hamburgers and Gatorade."[149]

Mental health issues and advocacy

Walker has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder and has served as spokesperson for a mental health treatment program for veterans.[150] He wrote the 2008 book Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder[151] to help dispel myths about mental illness and to help others.[152]

In the book, Walker wrote that he had a dozen distinct identities, or alters.[92] According to Walker, some of his alters did many good things, but other alters exhibited extreme and violent behavior, which Walker said he mostly could not remember.[147] A competitive alter caused him to play Russian roulette in 1991, as he saw "mortality as the ultimate challenge", he wrote.[92][147] He was formally diagnosed with the disorder in 2001, after he sought professional help for being tempted to murder a man who was late in delivering a car to him.[92]

Walker attributed his divorce to his behavior caused by the disorder.[147] According to Walker's ex-wife, for the first 16 years of their marriage, Walker's alters were somehow controlled, and she had no idea that he had any disorder.[147] Grossman said that the situation greatly deteriorated once Walker was diagnosed, after which he began to exhibit either "very sweet" alters or "very violent" alters who looked "evil".[147] She said that in one situation where Walker exhibited two alters, she was in bed when he held a straight razor to her throat and repeatedly stated that he would kill her.[147] Walker did not deny Grossman's account, saying that he did not remember it, because blackouts were a symptom of the disorder.[147]

Reality television

Walker won season 3 of Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off (2014), a reality TV cooking show on the Food Network.

He was a contestant in the second season of the reality television show The Celebrity Apprentice (2009). Although he owns a food-service company,[153] he was fired during the 8th episode for failing as Project Manager on a task to create a new meal for Schwan's LiveSmart frozen-food line.[154] Throughout the season, each celebrity raised money for a charity of his or her choice; Walker selected "Alternative Community Development Services."

Awards and honors

NFL

• Two-time Pro Bowl selection

USFL

• 1985 USFL MVP

NCAA

• 1980 National Champion
• 1982 Heisman Trophy winner
• 1982 UPI College Football Player of the Year
• Three-time Consensus All-American
• Number 34 retired by the Georgia Bulldogs
• College Football Hall of Fame (class of 1999)

See also

• Black conservatism in the United States
• List of Strikeforce alumni

Explanatory notes

References

External links

• Senate campaign website
• Herschel Walker at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Herschel Walker at Heisman.com
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · Pro Football Reference
• Professional MMA record for Herschel Walker from Sherdog
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Herschel Walker at IMDb

Party political offices
Preceded by Kelly Loeffler	Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from Georgia (Class 3) 2022	Most recent

---