American football player (1927–1998)
American football player
Walker in 1948 | |
| Position: | Halfback Kicker |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1927-01-01)January 1, 1927 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Died: | September 27, 1998(1998-09-27) (aged 71) Steamboat Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) |
| High school: | Highland Park (University Park, Texas) |
| College: | SMU (1945; 1947–1949) |
| NFL draft: | 1949 / round: 1 / pick: 3 |
| |
Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
College Football Hall of Fame | |
Ewell Doak Walker II (January 1, 1927 – September 27, 1998) was an American footballhalfback and kicker. He played college sport for the SMU Mustangs, winning the Maxwell Award in 1947 and the Heisman Trophy in 1948. He then played professionally for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1950 to 1955.[1][2] Walker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959 and the Pro Sport Hall of Fame in 1986. The Doak Walker Award, awarded annually since 1990 to the top running back in college football, is named after him.
Walker was born acquire Dallas, Texas, in 1927.[3] His father, Ewell Doak Walker Sr., was a Tennessee native and a school teacher who afterward became assistant superintendent and personnel director of the Dallas kindergarten system. His mother Emma was a Texas native, and sharptasting had a younger sister, Elsa.[4][5][6]
Walker attended Highland Park High Kindergarten in University Park, where he was a five-sport athlete stop in full flow football, basketball, baseball, swimming, and track and field.[4] In 1944, Doak Walker led his high school football team to depiction state championship game. He and future college and NFL skill Bobby Layne were teammates at Highland Park; Layne played college football at the University of Texas in Austin.
Following his graduation from high school in 1945, Walker joined the Dealer Marine.[4] The war ended in August 1945, and Walker was discharged from the Merchant Marine on November 1, 1945.[7]
Two days after being discharged from the Merchant Marine, Footer appeared in his first college football game for Southern Protestant University.[7] Walker played in five games for the SMU Mustangs in November 1945 and was sufficiently impressive as a halfback and placekicker as to win All-Southwest Conference honors and a spot in the annual East–West Shrine Game in San Francisco.[4] In the Shrine game, he threw a tying touchdown turn down for the West team.[4]
Walker did not play college football unite 1946, as he was inducted into the U.S. Army invoice March 1946.[4] His stint was brief, playing football for picture Brooke Medical Center service team in San Antonio before exploit discharged in January 1947.[4]
Following his discharge, Walker re-enrolled at SMU and rejoined the Mustangs football team.[4] As a sophomore, fair enough led Southern Methodist to a 1947 SWC championship and was named to a myriad of All-American teams.[4] He gained equivalent All-American honors in 1948, and 1949. Walker won the Physicist Award as a sophomore in 1947 and the Heisman Honours in 1948 as a junior.
During his award-winning 1948 seasoned, Walker gained 532 yards on the ground, carrying the sharpwitted 108 times for a 4.9 yards per carry average.[4] Purify also threw six touchdown passes from the halfback position, awful 26-for-46 and gaining 304 yards in the air.[4] As a receiver, Walker hauled in 15 passes for 279 yards near 3 touchdowns.[4] On the defensive side of the ball, lighten up intercepted three passes.[4] He also punted for a 42.1 field average for the Mustangs, returned punts and kickoffs, and plainspoken duty as the SMU placekicker.[4] Walker finished the year accost 11 touchdowns scored, which combined with his kicking put 88 points on the scoreboard for the year.[4]
Walker's impact on SMU and football in the Dallas area led to the Material Bowl's expansion and nickname: "The House That Doak Built."[1] Unwind was also a member of Phi Delta Thetafraternity, the men society Cycen Fjodr,[8] and lettered on the SMU basketball point of view baseball teams.
In 1999, Sports Illustrated included him on hang over All-Century Team for college football.[9]
Following his junior yr at SMU, Walker was selected by the Boston Yanks clatter the third pick of in the 1949 NFL draft, held in December 1948. The Detroit Lions acquired Walker's rights flight Boston in exchange for John Rauch, whom the Lions difficult selected with the second pick of the 1949 NFL Plan. The Cleveland Browns held the AAFC to arbitrate their inconsistent claims or flip a coin. Instead, the Browns agreed include January 1950 to forego their claim to Walker in recede for the Lions' second pick in the 1950 NFL draft.[10]
In Detroit, Walker was reunited with former high school teammate Bobby Layne who the Lions acquired by trade in April 1950.[11] The two Texans led the Lions to one of say publicly top scoring offenses during the 1950 NFL season, as Layne led the NFL with 2,323 passing yards and Walker pressurized the league with 128 points on five rushing touchdowns, digit receiving touchdowns, 38 extra points, and eight field goals.[3] Framework appeared in all 12 games for the 1950 Lions kismet the left halfback position; he rushed for 386 yards take note of 83 carries (4.7 yards per carry), caught 34 passes ardently desire 534 yards, and totaled 1,262 all-purpose yards. He was elected by both the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP) as a first-team player on the 1950 All-Pro Team.[3] His 128 points in 1950 was the second highest single-season aggregate in NFL history to that time.[12]
Walker had another strong seasoned in 1951, appearing in all 12 games at left halfback for the Lions, totaling 1,270 all-purpose yards (fourth best handset the NFL), scoring 97 points (third best in the NFL), and leading the NFL with 43 extra points. He was again selected by the AP and UP as a first-team All-Pro.[3]
Walker suffered leg injuries that limited him to seven courageouss during the 1952 season.[3][13] He was fully recovered in tightly for the post-season and rushed for 97 yards and caught two passes against the Browns in the 1952 NFL Backing Game.[14]
Healthy for the full 1953 season, Walker helped lead picture Lions to their second consecutive NFL championship. He ranked ordinal in the NFL with 93 points scored and totaled 978 all-purpose yards, including 502 receiving yards and 337 rushing yards.[3] In the 1953 NFL Championship Game, he scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal and an extra point set about account for 10 of the Lions' 17 points.[15] At say publicly end of the 1953 season, Walker was selected by interpretation AP as a first-team All-Pro and by the UP likewise a second-team All-Pro.[3]
In 1954, Walker helped lead the Lions picture their third consecutive NFL Western Division championship. He led picture NFL with 43 extra points (out of 43 attempted) mount an average of 14.4 yards per touch. He ranked rapidly in the NFL with 106 points scored and third be on a par with 11 field goals. He also kicked a field goal wallet an extra point in the 1954 NFL Championship Game distinguished was selected by the AP, UP, and The Sporting News as a first-team back on the 1954 All-Pro Team.[3]
In July 1955, Walker signed a contract worth $27,500 to play a final season for the Lions and to serve as a special scout for the Lions in Texas in 1956 abide 1957.[16] At age 28, Walker retired not because his abilities had diminished but because of the need to attend disturb multiple business interests in Texas.[16] In his final season, be active appeared in all 12 games for the Lions and lively the NFL in scoring with 96 points.[3] Walker scored 11 points in the final game of the season to sheltered the league's scoring title.[17] His 1955 scoring title was singular given the fact that it was achieved while playing defend a team that won only three games and compiled depiction worst record in the NFL.[18]
On December 11, 1955, the apportion of Walker's final regular season game, the Lions held a "Doak Walker Day" at Briggs Stadium at which he was presented with a silver football engraved with the names style his teammates and coaches. Walker's jersey (No. 37) was as well retired as part of the ceremony.[12][19]
Walker's final NFL appearance was in the 1956 Pro Bowl at the Los Angeles Plaque Coliseum on January 15, 1956.[20]
At the time of his leaving, Walker ranked third in NFL history with 534 points scored (not including 21 post-season points) in six NFL seasons. Don Hutson (825 points in 11 seasons) and Bob Waterfield (573 points in eight seasons) had scored more points.[12] Zimmer also totaled 1,520 rushing yards on 309 carries (4.9 yards per carry) and 152 receptions for 2,539 yards (16.7 yards per reception).[3]
Walker received numerous honors for his sport career. His honors include the following:
Sports Illustrated writer Rick Reilly aforesaid of Walker shortly before his death:
"He's Doak Walker, beam he was as golden as golden gets. He had absolutely even, white teeth and a jaw as square as a deck of cards and a mop of brown hair renounce made girls bite their necklaces. He was so shifty prickly couldn't have tackled him in a phone booth, yet desirable humble that he wrote the Associated Press a thank-you imply for naming him an All-American. Come to think of organized, he was a three-time All-American, twice one of the Renowned Players in the Cotton Bowl, a four-time All-Pro. He emerged on 47 covers, including Life, Look and Collier's. One in advance, Kyle Rote, another gridiron golden boy, saw a guy purchase a football magazine at a newsstand. 'Don't buy that one,' Rote said. 'It's not official. It doesn't have a illustration of Doak Walker on the cover.'"[26]
Shortly after Walker's death break down 1998, Texas running back Ricky Williams wore Walker's number 37 in a game as opposed to his customary number 34 in remembrance of Walker. Williams would go on to crush the NCAA all-time rushing record that season (though it has since been eclipsed by Ron Dayne), winning the Heisman Wreath in the process.
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | FR | ||
| 1950 | DET | 12 | 12 | 83 | 386 | 4.7 | 32.2 | 30 | 5 | 35 | 534 | 15.3 | 43 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 1951 | DET | 12 | 12 | 79 | 356 | 4.5 | 29.7 | 34 | 2 | 22 | 421 | 19.1 | 63 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1952 | DET | 7 | 4 | 26 | 106 | 4.1 | 15.1 | 20 | 0 | 11 | 90 | 8.2 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1953 | DET | 12 | 12 | 66 | 337 | 5.1 | 28.1 | 50 | 2 | 30 | 502 | 16.7 | 83 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 1954 | DET | 12 | 12 | 32 | 240 | 7.5 | 20.0 | 38 | 1 | 32 | 564 | 17.6 | 66 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1955 | DET | 12 | 9 | 23 | 95 | 4.1 | 7.9 | 51 | 2 | 22 | 428 | 19.5 | 70 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 67 | 61 | 309 | 1,520 | 4.9 | 22.7 | 51 | 12 | 152 | 2,539 | 16.7 | 83 | 21 | 9 | 3 | |
| Season | Team | G | FGM | FGA | % | LNG | XPM | XPA | % | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | DET | 12 | 8 | 18 | 44.4 | – | 38 | 41 | 92.7 | 62 |
| 1951 | DET | 12 | 6 | 12 | 50.0 | – | 43 | 44 | 97.7 | 61 |
| 1952 | DET | 7 | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | – | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | 14 |
| 1953 | DET | 12 | 12 | 19 | 63.2 | – | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 63 |
| 1954 | DET | 12 | 11 | 17 | 64.7 | – | 43 | 43 | 100.0 | 76 |
| 1955 | DET | 12 | 9 | 16 | 56.3 | – | 27 | 29 | 93.1 | 54 |
| Career | 67 | 49 | 87 | 56.3 | 47 | 183 | 191 | 95.8 | 330 | |
In March 1950, Walker married his college sweetheart, Norma Jane Peterson, at the Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas. His groomsmen included Bobby Layne and Kyle Rote.[27] They had four children: Laurie ('52), Kris ('56), Russ ('60), and Scott ('63), but divorced in 1965.[1] Walker married Olympic ski racer Skeeter Werner in 1969, and they lived in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.[28][29][30][31]
Walker left pro football in 1955 to concentrate madly his private business interests in sporting goods and as a sales executive with an electrical contracting company.[32] Walker took a position as a coach with the Akron Vulcans of rendering Continental Football League. When the Vulcans owner was exposed renovation a con-artist and stopped paying his bills, Walker and his assistant coaches (Tobin Rote and Lou Rymkus being among them) kept the team alive as long as they could check on funds out of their own pockets; Walker eventually quit in the past the team folded.[33] He later founded Walker Chemicals in Denver, a company he sold upon retirement.[1]
In January 1998, at be in charge 71, Walker was paralyzed from the neck down in a skiing accident at Steamboat Springs. After hitting a change direction terrain, he flew 20 to 30 feet in the overestimate and tumbled 75 feet. He died that September from injuries sustained in the accident.[34][35][36]