Kevin Walter
Encyclopedia
Kevin Patrick Walter is an American football
wide receiver
for the Houston Texans
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New York Giants
in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Eastern Michigan
.
which he attended Hawthorn Middle School South
, and played wide receiver for Libertyville High School
in neighboring Libertyville, Illinois
, a suburb 45 minutes north of Chicago
. He lettered
three times in football
, earning first-team all-state honors as a wide receiver after catching 48 passes for 801 yards and 6 touchdowns, helping the team to a 10-1 record and a berth in the second round of the state tournament. Walter also was selected first-team all-area, all-conference and All-Lake County
. He caught 17 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns as a junior.
, where he set school records for receptions (211), receiving yards (2,838), and touchdown catches (20). He also earned first-team All-MAC
honors as a senior with 93 receptions for 1,368 receiving yards, which were both school single-season records.
by the New York Giants
out of Eastern Michigan, but was released during training camp.
. Walter spent three years mainly as a backup and special teams player, although he did see action in almost every game of his Bengals career and was actually a starter
for a couple of games in 2005
.
tender in 2006
, which the Bengals did not match. In return, the Texans gave up a seventh-round pick to the Bengals. After an injury to Pro-bowler Andre Johnson
, Walter became the Texans number one receiver and after 8 games in 2007, Walter had 40 catches for 512 yards while also posting a career high game at Jacksonville in week 6 with 12 catches for 160 yards.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
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 drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
.
Early years
Walter grew up in Vernon Hills, IllinoisVernon Hills, Illinois
Vernon Hills is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,120 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 23,957 as of 2005...
which he attended Hawthorn Middle School South
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 is located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, approximately 35 miles northwest of Chicago. It has approximately 3,763 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in six schools.- Schools :...
, and played wide receiver for Libertyville High School
Libertyville High School
Libertyville High School, or LHS, is a public four-year high school located in Libertyville, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
in neighboring Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, a suburb 45 minutes north of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. He lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
three times in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, earning first-team all-state honors as a wide receiver after catching 48 passes for 801 yards and 6 touchdowns, helping the team to a 10-1 record and a berth in the second round of the state tournament. Walter also was selected first-team all-area, all-conference and All-Lake County
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. He caught 17 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns as a junior.
College career
Walter attended Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, where he set school records for receptions (211), receiving yards (2,838), and touchdown catches (20). He also earned first-team All-MAC
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
honors as a senior with 93 receptions for 1,368 receiving yards, which were both school single-season records.
New York Giants
Walter was a late seventh-round pick (255 overall) in the 2003 NFL Draft2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
out of Eastern Michigan, but was released during training camp.
Cincinnati Bengals
After his release from the Giants, Walter signed with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
. Walter spent three years mainly as a backup and special teams player, although he did see action in almost every game of his Bengals career and was actually a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for a couple of games in 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
.
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans signed Walter to a restricted free agentRestricted free agent
A restricted free agent is a professional athlete who plays in the KHL, NFL, NHL, or NBA. Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.- NFL :...
tender in 2006
2006 Houston Texans season
The 2006 Houston Texans season began with the team trying to improve on their 2–14 record in 2005.-Offseason:On January 2, 2006, the day after the last game of the 2005 season, head coach Dom Capers and most of the coaching staff was fired by owner Bob McNair. General Manager Charley Casserly was...
, which the Bengals did not match. In return, the Texans gave up a seventh-round pick to the Bengals. After an injury to Pro-bowler Andre Johnson
Andre Johnson
Andre Lamont Johnson is an American football wide receiver currently playing for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Through the 2010–11 NFL season, Johnson currently ranks first all-time in NFL history in receiving yards per game for a career...
, Walter became the Texans number one receiver and after 8 games in 2007, Walter had 40 catches for 512 yards while also posting a career high game at Jacksonville in week 6 with 12 catches for 160 yards.