Jackie Walker
Encyclopedia
Jackie Walker who attended Carroll High School in Monroe, Louisiana
was an American football
linebacker
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the National Football League
. He was the 28th player selected in the 1986 NFL Draft
, the first player drafted in the second round of a year in which there were only 27 first-round picks. His selection was controversial, as he did not score particularly well in the pre-draft combines, and there were more-heralded linebackers still on the board. Walker was a latecomer to organized sports, not playing football until high school coaches and his older brother convinced him to join the team in his senior year of high school. A quick and aggressive player, he was a starter all four years at Jackson State University
, where he also played power forward for the basketball team. In his senior year, he led the team with 131 tackles, was named to two All-American teams, and was named Southwestern Athletic Conference
Defensive Player of the Year. While the Buccaneers staff were impressed with his raw talent and saw him as a potential Ted Hendricks
-type player, the fans were critical of the selection of a player with so little training and experience. Walker started only nine games for the Buccaneers, all in 1987
. Although popular with teammates and a standout on special teams, he never worked his way into the regular lineup. Buccaneers coach Ray Perkins at one point toyed with the idea of taking advantage of his athleticism by converting him to tight end, but dropped the idea due to lack of interest from Walker. When Plan B free agency
began in 1989, Walker was one of the players allowed to leave. He was signed by the New York Jets
in 1989
after being left unprotected by the Buccaneers, but was cut from the Jets in training camp. He later played for the Cincinnati Rockers
, Miami Hooters
, and Orlando Predators
of the Arena Football League.
most valuable defensive player, 1985
1st Team All-American, 1985
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
was an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was the 28th player selected in the 1986 NFL Draft
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986...
, the first player drafted in the second round of a year in which there were only 27 first-round picks. His selection was controversial, as he did not score particularly well in the pre-draft combines, and there were more-heralded linebackers still on the board. Walker was a latecomer to organized sports, not playing football until high school coaches and his older brother convinced him to join the team in his senior year of high school. A quick and aggressive player, he was a starter all four years at Jackson State University
Jackson State University
Jackson State University is a historically black university founded in 1877 in Natchez, MS by the American Baptist Home Mission Society of New York. The Society moved the school to Jackson in 1882, renaming it Jackson College, and developed its present campus in 1902. It became a state supported...
, where he also played power forward for the basketball team. In his senior year, he led the team with 131 tackles, was named to two All-American teams, and was named Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
Defensive Player of the Year. While the Buccaneers staff were impressed with his raw talent and saw him as a potential Ted Hendricks
Ted Hendricks
Theodore Paul Hendricks is a Hall of Fame former American football linebacker who logged 15 seasons for the Baltimore Colts , the Green Bay Packers and the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders in the National Football League...
-type player, the fans were critical of the selection of a player with so little training and experience. Walker started only nine games for the Buccaneers, all in 1987
1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The 1987 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was a year of great change for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' organization in the National Football League. The season began with the hiring of former New York Giants and University of Alabama head coach Ray Perkins...
. Although popular with teammates and a standout on special teams, he never worked his way into the regular lineup. Buccaneers coach Ray Perkins at one point toyed with the idea of taking advantage of his athleticism by converting him to tight end, but dropped the idea due to lack of interest from Walker. When Plan B free agency
Plan B free agency
The Plan B free agency was a type of free agency that became active in the National Football League in February 1989. Plan B free agency permitted all teams in the NFL to preserve limited rights of no more than 37 total players a season...
began in 1989, Walker was one of the players allowed to leave. He was signed by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
after being left unprotected by the Buccaneers, but was cut from the Jets in training camp. He later played for the Cincinnati Rockers
Cincinnati Rockers
The Cincinnati Rockers were an Arena Football League team that competed in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.-History:They played their home games at Riverfront Coliseum. The team color scheme incorporated bright yellow and green...
, Miami Hooters
Florida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...
, and Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
of the Arena Football League.
Awards
Southwestern Athletic ConferenceSouthwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
most valuable defensive player, 1985
1st Team All-American, 1985