Doak Walker facts for kids
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Walker in 1948
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| No. 37 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Halfback Kicker |
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| Born: | January 1, 1927 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: | September 27, 1998 (aged 71) Steamboat Springs, Colorado, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 173 lb (78 kg) | ||||||||||||
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| High school: | Highland Park (University Park, Texas) |
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| College: | SMU (1945; 1947–1949) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1949 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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College Football Hall of Fame
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Ewell Doak Walker II (born January 1, 1927 – died September 27, 1998) was an amazing American football player. He played as a halfback and kicker. Doak Walker spent six seasons with the Detroit Lions in the National Football League (NFL) from 1950 to 1955. Before turning pro, he played college football for the SMU Mustangs. There, he won the famous Heisman Trophy in 1948, which is given to the best college football player.
Walker was recognized for his incredible talent. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. Later, in 1986, he joined the Pro Football Hall of Fame. To honor his legacy, the Doak Walker Award was created in 1990. This award is given every year to the top running back in college football.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
Doak Walker was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1927. His dad, Ewell Doak Walker Sr., was a school teacher. His mom, Emma, was from Texas, and he had a younger sister named Elsa.
Walker went to Highland Park High School in University Park. He was a fantastic athlete who played five different sports! These included football, basketball, baseball, swimming, and track and field. In 1944, Doak led his high school football team all the way to the state championship game. He even played alongside future college and NFL star Bobby Layne at Highland Park.
After finishing high school in 1945, Walker joined the Merchant Marine. This was during World War II. The war ended in August 1945, and Walker was discharged from the Merchant Marine in November 1945.
College Football Star at SMU
Joining the SMU Mustangs
Just two days after leaving the Merchant Marine, Doak Walker played his first college football game. He joined the Southern Methodist University (SMU) team. In November 1945, Walker played in five games for the SMU Mustangs. He was so good as a halfback and placekicker that he earned All-Southwest Conference honors. He also got a spot in the special East–West Shrine Game. In that game, he even threw a touchdown pass that tied the score!
Walker didn't play college football in 1946. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in March 1946. His time in the Army was short. He played football for the Brooke Medical Center team in San Antonio before being discharged in January 1947.
Award-Winning Seasons
After leaving the Army, Walker went back to SMU and rejoined the Mustangs football team. As a sophomore, he led SMU to win the 1947 Southwest Conference championship. He was also named to many All-American teams, meaning he was one of the best players in the country. He earned these top honors again in 1948 and 1949.
Walker won the Maxwell Award in 1947 as a sophomore. Then, in 1948, as a junior, he won the most prestigious award in college football: the Heisman Trophy.
During his amazing 1948 season, Walker ran for 532 yards. He also threw six touchdown passes and caught 15 passes for 279 yards. On defense, he intercepted three passes. He even punted, returned kicks, and was the team's placekicker. Walker scored 11 touchdowns that year, adding up to 88 points for his team.
Doak Walker's impact on SMU and football in Dallas was huge. The Cotton Bowl stadium was even expanded and nicknamed "The House That Doak Built" because of him! He was also part of a fraternity and played on SMU's basketball and baseball teams.
Professional Career with the Detroit Lions
Joining the NFL
After his junior year at SMU, Walker was chosen by the Boston Yanks as the third pick in the 1949 NFL draft. This is where NFL teams pick new players. The Detroit Lions then traded for Walker's rights.
In Detroit, Walker was reunited with his old high school teammate, Bobby Layne. The Lions got Layne in a trade in April 1950. These two talented players from Texas helped the Lions have one of the best scoring offenses in the 1950 NFL season. Layne led the NFL in passing yards, and Walker led the league in scoring with 128 points. He scored five rushing touchdowns, six receiving touchdowns, 38 extra points, and eight field goals. Walker played in all 12 games for the 1950 Lions. He ran for 386 yards and caught 34 passes for 534 yards. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pro player.
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Championship Seasons
Walker had another strong season in 1951. He played in all 12 games and was fourth in the NFL in all-purpose yards. He scored 97 points, which was third best in the NFL. He also led the NFL with 43 extra points. He was again chosen as a first-team All-Pro.
In 1952, Walker had some leg injuries, which limited him to playing in only seven games. But he recovered in time for the playoffs. He played well in the 1952 NFL Championship Game against the Browns.
In 1953, Walker was healthy for the whole season. He helped lead the Lions to their second NFL championship in a row! He was third in the NFL with 93 points scored. He also had 978 all-purpose yards, including 502 receiving yards and 337 rushing yards. In the 1953 NFL Championship Game, he scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal and an extra point. This accounted for 10 of the Lions' 17 points. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pro at the end of the 1953 season.
In 1954, Walker helped the Lions win their third straight NFL Western Division championship. He led the NFL with 43 successful extra points. He was second in the NFL with 106 points scored and third with 11 field goals. He also kicked a field goal and an extra point in the 1954 NFL Championship Game. He was chosen as a first-team All-Pro player by several sports news groups.
Retirement and Legacy
In July 1955, Walker signed a contract to play one last season for the Lions. He also agreed to be a special scout for the team in Texas. At 28 years old, Walker decided to retire from professional football. He wasn't retiring because he couldn't play anymore, but because he had many business interests in Texas that needed his attention. In his final season, he played in all 12 games for the Lions and led the NFL in scoring with 96 points.
On December 11, 1955, the Lions held a "Doak Walker Day" at Briggs Stadium. They gave him a special silver football. His jersey number, 37, was also retired during the ceremony. This meant no other Lions player would wear that number again.
Walker's last NFL game was the 1956 Pro Bowl on January 15, 1956. When he retired, Walker was third in NFL history with 534 points scored in just six seasons. He also had 1,520 rushing yards and 2,539 receiving yards.
Honors and Legacy
Doak Walker received many honors for his amazing football career:
- In 1955, the Detroit Lions retired his jersey (No. 37). This was the first time the Lions had ever retired a uniform number.
- In 1959, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
- In 1986, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His former teammate, Bobby Layne, spoke at the ceremony. Layne said Walker was "the greatest clutch player I ever saw." He meant that Walker was best when the game was on the line.
- The Doak Walker Award, which started in 1990, is given every year to the best running back in college football.
- In 2007, ESPN ranked Walker No. 4 on their list of the top 25 players in college football history.
- A statue of Doak Walker was placed between Gerald Ford Stadium and SMU's Dedman Center.
A famous sports writer named Rick Reilly once said that Doak Walker was "as golden as golden gets." He was very popular and talented. Reilly mentioned that Walker appeared on 47 magazine covers, including Life and Look. Another football star, Kyle Rote, once joked that a football magazine wasn't "official" unless it had Doak Walker's picture on the cover!
After Walker passed away in 1998, Texas running back Ricky Williams wore Walker's number 37 in a game to remember him. Williams usually wore number 34. That season, Williams went on to set a new record for rushing yards in college football and won the Heisman Trophy.
Family and Later Years
In March 1950, Walker married his college sweetheart, Norma Jane Peterson, in Dallas. They had four children: Laurie, Kris, Russ, and Scott. They later divorced in 1965. In 1969, Walker married Olympic ski racer Skeeter Werner. They lived in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
After leaving professional football in 1955, Walker focused on his business interests. He worked in sporting goods and as a sales executive. He later started his own company, Walker Chemicals, in Denver, which he sold when he retired.
In January 1998, when he was 71 years old, Walker was in a skiing accident at Steamboat Springs. He was seriously injured and became paralyzed. He passed away that September from injuries he got in the accident.
See also
- List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders
