Delanie Walker facts for kids
Walker with the Tennessee Titans in 2018
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| Position: | Tight end | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | August 12, 1984 Pomona, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Pomona | ||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2006 / Round: 6 / Pick: 175 | ||||||||||
| 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 | |||||||||||
Hubert Delanie Walker (born August 12, 1984) is a former American football player. He played as a tight end for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Delanie played college football for the Central Missouri Mules. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft.
After playing seven seasons with the 49ers, Walker spent another seven seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times while with the Titans. Walker left the Titans after the 2019 season. This was because he missed many games due to an ankle injury.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Delanie Walker grew up and played high school football at Pomona High School. He was a top player in his area. The Times newspaper named him first-team All-Region. He also earned All-Division and All-San Gabriel Valley honors in his senior year.
Walker was named Miramonte League Offensive Player of the Year twice. In 2001, he was chosen as Pomona Red Devil of the Year. He also played in the East/West All-Star game. Besides football, Delanie was great at track & field. He won the Division III 100-meters title. He also finished first in the 2002 Miramonte League Meet.
After high school, Walker first planned to go to UTEP. But he decided to attend Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, California. This helped him improve his school grades.
College Football Career
Walker started his college journey at Mt. San Antonio College. In 2003, he was a highly-ranked junior college player. He finished his time there with 86 catches for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns. After this, he moved to the University of Central Missouri.
At Central Missouri, Walker set or matched several receiving records. In his two seasons there, he caught 113 passes for 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had 35 kickoff returns for 965 yards and three touchdowns. His three kickoff return touchdowns are tied for the school record at Central Missouri. He studied video production and had a minor in criminal justice. On February 14, 2015, Walker was honored by being added to the Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional Football Career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) |
240 lb (109 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) |
4.49 s | 1.61 s | 2.67 s | 4.60 s | 7.23 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) |
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| All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Playing for the San Francisco 49ers
First Seasons (2006–2008)
The San Francisco 49ers chose Delanie Walker in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft. He was the 175th player picked overall. In his first year, he played in seven games. He caught two passes for 30 yards.
In his second season (2007), Walker scored his first NFL touchdown. It was a 21-yard pass from Trent Dilfer. He finished that year with 21 catches for 174 yards and one touchdown. He also had 63 return yards.
In 2008, the 49ers signed Walker to a new contract. He returned a kickoff for a 101-yard touchdown in a preseason game. He scored his first touchdown of the season against the Detroit Lions. Walker ended the 2008 season with 10 catches for 155 yards and one touchdown.
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Growing Role (2009–2010)
In 2009, Walker had 21 catches for 233 yards. He also gained 85 yards from returns and 34 yards from rushing. The 49ers finished the season with an 8–8 record.
In 2010, Walker caught 29 passes for 331 yards. He also had 70 return yards and 18 rushing yards. The 49ers ended that season with a 6–10 record.
"Swiss Army Knife" (2011–2012)
In 2011, Jim Harbaugh became the 49ers' head coach. He and offensive coordinator Greg Roman liked Walker's skills. They used him in many different ways. He played various receiver spots, backup fullback, and even returned kickoffs. He also played as a gunner on special teams. These many roles earned him the nickname "The Swiss Army knife" on the team.
Walker scored his first touchdown of 2011 against the Dallas Cowboys. He scored two more touchdowns later that season. He finished 2011 with 19 catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers had a great 13–3 record. In the playoffs, Walker helped the team reach the NFC Championship Game.
In 2012, Walker continued to be a key player. He scored touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. He finished the season with 21 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns. The 49ers had an 11–4–1 record and reached Super Bowl XLVII. In the Super Bowl, Walker caught three passes for 48 yards. However, the 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34–31.
Playing for the Tennessee Titans
Starting Strong (2013–2014)
On March 12, 2013, Walker signed a four-year contract with the Tennessee Titans. He had a strong debut with the Titans, catching three passes. He scored his first Titans touchdown against the Houston Texans. He also scored touchdowns against his old team, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Indianapolis Colts. Walker finished his first Titans season with 60 catches for 571 yards and six touchdowns.
In 2014, Walker started the season with a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. He had a career-best game against the Dallas Cowboys, catching ten passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. He also had a career-high 155 receiving yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. Walker ended the 2014 season with 63 catches for 890 yards and four touchdowns.
Pro Bowl Seasons (2015–2017)
Walker had his best year in 2015. He broke all Titans records for a tight end, with 1,088 receiving yards. He also led all NFL tight ends with 94 catches. He became only the ninth tight end ever to have more than 90 catches in one season. Because of his amazing performance, he was chosen for his first Pro Bowl. He was ranked 82nd among the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
In 2016, Walker signed a new contract with the Titans. He continued to play well, scoring touchdowns against the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. He had a great game against the Green Bay Packers, catching nine passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. Walker finished 2016 with 65 catches for 800 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns. He was named to his second straight Pro Bowl. He was ranked 75th among the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
In 2017, Walker scored his first rushing touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also caught touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans. Walker finished 2017 with 74 catches for 807 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans made the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round, Walker was the top receiver as the Titans won. He was named to his third straight Pro Bowl and was the 2018 Pro Bowl offensive MVP. He was ranked 72nd among the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
Injuries and Departure (2018–2019)
In 2018, Walker signed another contract extension with the Titans. However, in the first game of the season, he suffered a serious ankle injury. He had to miss the rest of the season. Without him, the Titans missed the playoffs.
Walker returned from his injury in 2019. In the first game, he caught two touchdowns. In Week 4, he reached 500 career receptions. But on November 27, 2019, Walker was placed on injured reserve again due to his ankle. He finished the season with 21 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns. The Titans made it to the AFC Championship Game without him.
On March 13, 2020, the Titans released Walker after seven seasons.
After the Titans
After leaving the Titans, Walker stayed in shape. He considered playing again but decided not to during the 2020 season due to health concerns related to a widespread illness. In June 2021, the San Francisco 49ers invited Walker for a workout.
Retirement
On October 18, 2022, Delanie Walker officially announced his retirement from the NFL. He signed a special one-day contract with the Titans. This allowed him to retire as a member of the team he played for the longest.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2006 | SF | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | SF | 16 | 10 | 21 | 174 | 8.3 | 26 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | SF | 15 | 2 | 10 | 155 | 15.5 | 53 | 1 | 2 | −13 | −6.5 | −3 | 0 | 13 | 257 | 19.8 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | SF | 16 | 8 | 21 | 233 | 11.1 | 39 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | SF | 14 | 8 | 29 | 331 | 11.4 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | SF | 15 | 7 | 19 | 198 | 10.4 | 29T | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | SF | 16 | 4 | 21 | 344 | 16.4 | 45 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | TEN | 15 | 11 | 60 | 571 | 9.5 | 33 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | TEN | 15 | 14 | 63 | 890 | 14.1 | 68 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | TEN | 15 | 10 | 94 | 1,088 | 11.6 | 61T | 6 | 1 | 36 | 36.0 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | TEN | 15 | 10 | 65 | 800 | 12.3 | 47 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 16 | 11 | 74 | 807 | 10.9 | 42 | 3 | 2 | −2 | −1.0 | 1T | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | TEN | 1 | 1 | 4 | 52 | 13.0 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 7 | 4 | 21 | 215 | 10.2 | 29 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 183 | 101 | 504 | 5,888 | 11.7 | 68 | 36 | 16 | 89 | 5.6 | 36 | 1 | 31 | 528 | 17.0 | 35 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | SF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | SF | 3 | 1 | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 9 | 123 | 13.7 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||
| Career | 6 | 4 | 16 | 244 | 15.3 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
Titans Franchise Records
Delanie Walker holds several records for tight ends with the Tennessee Titans:
- Most receiving touchdowns by a tight end: 28
- Most receptions in a season by a tight end: 94
- Most receiving yards in a season by a tight end: 1,088
Personal Life
In 2013, Delanie Walker's aunt and uncle passed away in a car accident. This happened just hours after he played in Super Bowl XLVII. This sad event made him want to speak out about safe driving. He supported laws that help prevent unsafe driving. Walker has three children. He also enjoys cars and powerboats.
Walker co-hosts a weekly football show called The Locker Room. It is part of the Bussin With The Boys podcast. He hosts it with former Titans teammates Will Compton and Taylor Lewan.
