Herschel Walker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Herschel Walker
Walker in 2018
United States Ambassador to the Bahamas Nominee
Assuming office TBD
President	Donald Trump
Succeeding	Kimberly Furnish (Chargé d'Affaires)
Co-chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
In office 2018–2022
President	Donald Trump Joe Biden
Preceded by	Dominique Dawes Drew Brees
Succeeded by	Elena Delle Donne José Andrés
Personal details
Born	Herschel Junior Walker (1962-03-03) March 3, 1962 (age 63) Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Cindy DeAngelis Grossman ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 2002)​ Julie Blanchard ​ (m. 2021)​
Children	4, including Christian
Alma mater	University of Georgia (BS)
Occupation	Athlete businessman politician
Awards	Full list
Football career
No. 34
Position:	Running back
Personal information
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) Minnesota Vikings (1989–1991) Philadelphia Eagles (1992) New York Giants (1995) Dallas Cowboys (1996)
Career highlights and awards
USFL MVP (1985) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1987, 1988) 2× Pro Bowl (1987, 1988) National champion (1980) Heisman Trophy (1982) Maxwell Award (1982) Walter Camp Award (1982) SN Player of the Year (1982) UPI Player of the Year (1982) Chic Harley Award (1982) SEC Athlete of the Year (1983) 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 attempts: 1,954 Rushing yards: 8,225 Rushing touchdowns: 61 Receptions: 512 Receiving yards: 4,859 Receiving touchdowns: 21
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American athlete, businessman, and politician. He is famous for his amazing career as a professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL).

Walker first became a star playing college football for the University of Georgia. He won the Heisman Trophy, the top award for a college football player. He later played in the NFL for teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

After football, Walker started businesses and became involved in politics. He ran for the U.S. Senate in Georgia in 2022. In December 2024, President Donald Trump announced he would nominate Walker to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas.

Early Life and School Sports

Herschel Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia, and grew up in the small town of Wrightsville, Georgia. He was one of seven children. As a kid, Walker said he was overweight and had a stutter.

He went to Johnson County High School, where he became a star athlete. He played football and basketball and also competed in track and field. In his last year of high school, he rushed for 3,167 yards and helped his team win its first state championship.

Walker was also a champion in track. He won state titles in the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard dash, and the shot put. His success in both sports and academics earned him an award as the national high school scholar-athlete of the year in 1979.

College Football Stardom

Walker attended the University of Georgia, where he became one of the greatest college football players of all time. He was a running back for the Georgia Bulldogs from 1980 to 1982.

In his first year, he led Georgia to an undefeated season and a national championship. He was the first "true freshman" to be named a first-team All-American. In 1982, as a junior, he won the Heisman Trophy.

Walker decided to leave college after his junior year to play professional football. Many years later, in 2024, he returned to the University of Georgia and completed his degree.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Walker's professional career was unique because he started in a new league called the United States Football League (USFL).

United States Football League (USFL)

In 1983, Walker signed with the New Jersey Generals. The team was later bought by Donald Trump. Walker was a huge star in the USFL. In 1985, he rushed for 2,411 yards, a professional football record, and was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

National Football League (NFL)

When the USFL folded, Walker joined the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL in 1986. He quickly became one of their best players.

Dallas Cowboys

With the Cowboys, Walker played alongside another star running back, Tony Dorsett. In 1988, Walker had an incredible season, gaining over 2,000 yards from rushing and receiving. He was selected for the Pro Bowl, the NFL's all-star game, in 1987 and 1988.

In 1989, the Cowboys traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings. This trade is now seen as one of the most important in NFL history. The Cowboys received many players and draft picks that helped them build a championship team in the 1990s.

Other NFL Teams

Walker played for the Minnesota Vikings for three seasons. He later played for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. In 1994 with the Eagles, he became the first NFL player to have 90-yard-plus gains on a run, a catch, and a kick return in the same season.

He returned to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996 as a kick returner and special player. He retired from football after the 1997 season.

Other Sports and Activities

Football wasn't Walker's only sport. He was a multi-talented athlete who competed at a high level in other areas.

Bobsledding and Martial Arts

In 1992, Walker was part of the U.S. bobsled team at the Winter Olympics in France. He and his teammate finished in seventh place in the two-man event.

Walker also has a fifth-degree black belt in taekwondo. When he was 47, he began a career in mixed martial arts (MMA). He competed in two professional fights and won both by knockout.

Business and Television

After his sports career, Walker started several businesses. His main company, Renaissance Man Food Services, sells food products.

He also appeared on television. In 2009, he was a contestant on the reality show The Celebrity Apprentice. In 2014, he won a celebrity cooking competition show.

Political Life

Walker's official portrait as a co-chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition

Walker has been active in politics for many years, usually supporting the Republican Party.

In 2018, President Donald Trump appointed Walker to the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. He served as a co-chair of the council.

2022 Senate Election

In 2021, Walker announced he was running for the U.S. Senate in his home state of Georgia. He won the Republican primary election with a large majority of the vote.

He faced the incumbent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, in the general election in November 2022. The race was very close, and neither candidate got more than 50% of the vote. This led to a special runoff election in December.

Warnock won the runoff election, but the race was still very tight. Walker accepted the results and encouraged his supporters to stay united.

Diplomatic Nomination

On December 17, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had chosen Walker to be the next U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. This is a position where a person represents the United States in another country.

Personal Life

Walker has lived in Texas for many years but moved back to Georgia to run for the Senate. He has been married twice and has four children.

He has been open about his personal challenges. In 2008, he wrote a book called Breaking Free. In it, he discussed his experience with dissociative identity disorder, a mental health condition. He said he wanted to help others by sharing his story and has spoken to groups, including veterans, about the importance of mental health.

Awards and honors

Walker has received many awards for his achievements in sports.

• NFL
  • Two-time Pro Bowl selection
• USFL
  • 1985 USFL MVP
• NCAA
  • 1980 National champion
  • 1982 Heisman Trophy winner
  • Three-time Unanimous All-American
  • College Football Hall of Fame (class of 1999)
  • The Georgia Bulldogs retired his jersey number, 34.

Images for kids

• 

  Walker giving a speech on mental health, 2017

See also

In Spanish: Herschel Walker para niños

• Black conservatism in the United States
• List of American sportsperson-politicians
• List of multi-sport athletes
• List of Strikeforce alumni