Everson Walls facts for kids

Everson Collins Walls, born on December 28, 1959, is a former American football player. He played as a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. During his 14 years, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. He was also named an All-Pro three times. Walls won a Super Bowl with the Giants after the 1990 season. He played college football for the Grambling State Tigers.

Early Life and College Football

Everson Walls grew up in Richardson, Texas. His nickname was "Cubby." He lived close to the Dallas Cowboys' practice field. He played football at Lloyd V. Berkner High School. He only played football during his senior year. In that year, he led his district in interceptions.

Walls really wanted to play college football. After high school, he went to Grambling State University. He knew an assistant coach through his girlfriend. Walls asked the coach about joining the team as a "walk-on" player. This means he would try out without a scholarship.

He was invited to training camp. There, he impressed the famous coach Eddie Robinson. Coach Robinson met with Walls' mother. Walls then received a full scholarship. He played very well at Grambling State. He earned Division I-AA All-American honors. In his senior year, he led the nation with 11 interceptions.

Everson Walls' NFL Career

Playing for the Dallas Cowboys

Professional scouts thought Walls was too slow for the NFL. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds. But his hometown team, the Dallas Cowboys, signed him. He joined the league as an undrafted free agent when he was 21.

Walls made a big impact right away. Opposing quarterbacks often threw the ball his way. They avoided more experienced players. Even as a backup, he led the league in interceptions. He became a starter in the fifth game of the season. He finished his rookie year with 11 interceptions. He was invited to the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

In the 1982 season, which was shorter due to a strike, he again led the league in interceptions. He had seven interceptions in just nine games. The Cowboys had a very strong defense. Players like Randy White and Ed "Too Tall" Jones were on the team. Walls continued to play great. He led the league in interceptions again in 1985 with nine. Only he and Ed Reed have led the NFL in interceptions three times.

Walls was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. These years were 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985. During this time, the Cowboys did not win a Super Bowl. They lost the NFC Championship game in 1981 and 1982. They also fell short in 1983 and 1985.

Walls was known as one of the best cornerbacks in the league. Eventually, quarterbacks stopped throwing the ball to his side of the field. He led the Cowboys in interceptions for five seasons. This is tied for the most in franchise history.

He also had some disagreements about his contracts with the Cowboys. These were settled in 1987. Walls signed a three-year deal worth $5.05 million. This made him the second-highest paid cornerback in the league. The team released him at the end of the 1989 season. This was due to less production and an incident after a game. He had 44 interceptions with the Cowboys. This ranks him second on the team's all-time list.

Joining the New York Giants

In 1990, Walls joined the New York Giants. He signed a two-year deal worth over one million dollars. Walls started playing safety for the first time in his career. The Giants had a great defensive team. It included players like Lawrence Taylor, Leonard Marshall, and Carl Banks. Walls often called out most of the defensive plays.

He scored his first and only defensive touchdown here. It was a game-winning interception return against the Washington Redskins. This helped the Giants start the season with a 7–0 record. The Giants, coached by Bill Parcells, had a 13–3 record. They reached the NFC Championship game. They played against the San Francisco 49ers, who had won two Super Bowls in a row.

The Giants won the game 15–13 with a late field goal. They advanced to Super Bowl XXV. There, they played the Buffalo Bills. In the Super Bowl, Walls made a very important play. He tackled Thurman Thomas with less than two minutes left. This tackle likely stopped a touchdown for the Bills. The Giants won the Super Bowl 20–19. The Bills missed a field goal as time ran out. Walls was on the cover of Sports Illustrated after the win. He was shown with his arms raised in victory.

In 1992, he started two games. Then, a younger player, Lamar McGriggs, took his starting spot. Walls was released on October 21. He had played in four more games as a backup. He made 12 tackles and one interception.

Time with the Cleveland Browns

On October 23, 1992, Walls signed with the Cleveland Browns. He was reunited with his former Giants defensive coordinator, Bill Belichick, who was now the head coach. Walls learned new techniques from defensive coordinator Nick Saban. He played in 10 games and started 5 of them. He had 2 interceptions. In 1993, he started 7 games before being released on October 27.

In his last three professional seasons, he played safety instead of cornerback. During this time, he recorded a total of seven interceptions.

Everson Walls' Football Legacy

Walls is known as one of the best defensive backs in football history. He is one of only two players to lead the NFL in interceptions three times. The other player is Ed Reed. He also led the Cowboys in interceptions a team-record five times. He ranks second on the Cowboys' all-time interception list. He is 10th all-time on the NFL career interceptions list with 57.

He also shares the career Pro Bowl interceptions record with four. He shares the single-game Pro Bowl record for interceptions with two. Walls played for many great coaches. These include Eddie Robinson, Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, and Bill Belichick. He was named to the Cowboys' 25th Year Anniversary Team.

Even with all his achievements, Walls has not been chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his final year of eligibility, he was a finalist for the first time. However, he did not make it into the Hall. If he is chosen in the future, it will be through the Hall of Fame's Senior Committee. In 2006, Walls was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

He was also inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame. He is also in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Walls to their Hall of Very Good. Walls was the ambassador for the 2010 FCS Championship game.

Walls was guarding Dwight Clark during a famous play in the 1981 NFC Championship. This play is known as "The Catch." A photo of this catch was on the cover of Sports Illustrated. It showed Clark jumping high and Walls reaching to block the ball. The 49ers won that game 28–27.

Almost ten years later, Walls was again on the cover of Sports Illustrated. This time, he was celebrating the Giants' Super Bowl XXV win. In 2020, former Minnesota Vikings player Everson Griffen joined the Cowboys. He said he was named after Walls because he grew up as a Cowboys fan.

Kidney Donation

On December 12, 2006, it was announced that Walls would donate a kidney. He donated it to his former Cowboys teammate, Ron Springs. Springs had diabetes. The surgery was successful and happened in March 2007.

In 2009, Walls wrote a book called A Gift For Ron. The book shares his experiences on and off the field. It also talks about his decision to donate his kidney to Springs.

Awards and Honors

• Division I-AA first-team All-American (1980–81 season)
• Grambling State University Athletic Hall of Fame (1998)
• Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (1998)
• NFL Defensive Back of the Year (1982)
• NFL Pro Bowl (1981–83, 1985)
• Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame (2003)
• SWAC Hall of Fame (2006)
• Tom Landry Award (2007)