Wade Walker
Encyclopedia
Wade Walker is an American former football player, coach, and university administrator. He played college football
as a tackle
at the University of Oklahoma
under head coaches Jim Tatum
and Bud Wilkinson
. Walker was named an all-conference player all four years and a first-team All-American in 1949. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State
for six years from 1956 to 1961 and compiled a 22–32–2 record. He also served as the athletic director
at Mississippi State and Oklahoma.
, and attended college at the University of Oklahoma
. He played for the Oklahoma Sooners football
team as a tackle
from 1946 to 1949, and he served as the team captain for two seasons. Walker was part of the 1946
recruiting class—brought to Norman
by one-year head coach Jim Tatum
—that included nine future All-Americans. In 1947, Tatum's former assistant Bud Wilkinson
had taken over as head coach but by midseason the team was struggling with a 2–2 record. In an effort to evoke player leadership, he told the team to elect two co-captains to serve the remainder of the season, and they chose Walker and the previous season's honor captain, Jim Tyree. In 1948, the International News Service
named Walker as the right tackle on its All-Midlands team.
In 1949, Walker was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press
, American Football Coaches Association
(as a guard
), Football Writers Association of America
, and Newspaper Enterprise Association. He is one of just three Sooners to have been named an all-conference player each of his four years. In 47 Straight: The Wilkinson Era at Oklahoma, author Harold Keith describes Walker as a "finesse player" who eschewed hip pads and wore low-top backfield shoes to reduce the weight of his equipment. Teammate and fellow All-American Stan West
said of Walker:
In the 1947 NFL Draft
, Walker was selected in the 22nd round as the 201st overall pick by the Chicago Cardinals.
. The following year, Walker served as an assistant football coach with the Texas Tech Red Raiders
from 1951-1953 prior to his arrival at Mississippi State. Walker was an assistant coach with the Bulldogs from 1954-1955 before serving as Mississippi State
's head football coach and athletic director from 1956 to 1961. Walker compiled a 22–32–2 record over his 6 season tenure. The Mississippi State Maroons (now known as the Bulldogs) posted a lackluster 2–7–1 record in 1959. The following year, Walker's team improved to 5-5, but students and alumni demanded his ouster. University president Dean W. Colvard
relented and fired Walker as football coach, but kept him on as athletic director.
In 1963, the Mississippi State basketball team
won the Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament
. They were set to face Loyola of Chicago
, an integrated school, but Mississippi state schools had an unwritten prohibition against playing teams with black players. In violation of a court injunction
that prohibited the team from leaving the state, Colvard ordered the athletic department staff, including Walker and head basketball coach Babe McCarthy
, across state lines to Nashville, Tennessee
. An assistant coach smuggled the team out of the state from a private airfield, and they met Walker and the rest of the staff before flying to Michigan to play Loyola. Mississippi State lost, 61–51, but returned home without further incident. Walker said, "There I was, acting like a fugitive and running from the law because I was doing something I believed was right."
Mississippi State football fared poorly again in 1966, and Walker and his replacement as head football coach, Paul E. Davis
, both resigned. Walker returned to Oklahoma to become the school's athletic director, and he served in that position until 1986. In 1987, Walker had moved to La Quinta, California
and was working for the Landmark Land Company.
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...
as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
under head coaches Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
and Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
. Walker was named an all-conference player all four years and a first-team All-American in 1949. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
for six years from 1956 to 1961 and compiled a 22–32–2 record. He also served as the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Mississippi State and Oklahoma.
College career
Walker was born in Mocksville, North CarolinaMocksville, North Carolina
Mocksville is a town in Davie County, North Carolina, USA. The population was 4,178 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Davie County.-Geography:Mocksville is located at ....
, and attended college at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. He played for the Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
from 1946 to 1949, and he served as the team captain for two seasons. Walker was part of the 1946
1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1946 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football. The team was led by Jim Tatum in his first and only season as head coach. Along with first-year backfield coach Bud Wilkinson, who became the head coach...
recruiting class—brought to Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
by one-year head coach Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
—that included nine future All-Americans. In 1947, Tatum's former assistant Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
had taken over as head coach but by midseason the team was struggling with a 2–2 record. In an effort to evoke player leadership, he told the team to elect two co-captains to serve the remainder of the season, and they chose Walker and the previous season's honor captain, Jim Tyree. In 1948, the International News Service
International News Service
International News Service was a U.S.-based news agency founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.Established two years after the Scripps family founded the United Press Association, INS scrapped among the newswires...
named Walker as the right tackle on its All-Midlands team.
In 1949, Walker was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
(as a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
), Football Writers Association of America
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
, and Newspaper Enterprise Association. He is one of just three Sooners to have been named an all-conference player each of his four years. In 47 Straight: The Wilkinson Era at Oklahoma, author Harold Keith describes Walker as a "finesse player" who eschewed hip pads and wore low-top backfield shoes to reduce the weight of his equipment. Teammate and fellow All-American Stan West
Stan West
Stanley Bryon West was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, the New York Giants, and the Chicago Cardinals...
said of Walker:
"I had the reputation of being the laziest man of all in our calisthenics drills, but I was chain lightning compared to him. 'Lord,' Wade used to say, 'you get warm enough out here anyhow.'"
In the 1947 NFL Draft
1947 NFL Draft
The 1947 National Football League Draft was held on December 16, 1946.The National Football League in this draft made the first overall pick a bonus pick determined by lottery. The Chicago Bears won the first lottery...
, Walker was selected in the 22nd round as the 201st overall pick by the Chicago Cardinals.
Coaching and administrative career
In 1950, Walker worked as an assistant football coach at NC StateNC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
. The following year, Walker served as an assistant football coach with the Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
from 1951-1953 prior to his arrival at Mississippi State. Walker was an assistant coach with the Bulldogs from 1954-1955 before serving as Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
's head football coach and athletic director from 1956 to 1961. Walker compiled a 22–32–2 record over his 6 season tenure. The Mississippi State Maroons (now known as the Bulldogs) posted a lackluster 2–7–1 record in 1959. The following year, Walker's team improved to 5-5, but students and alumni demanded his ouster. University president Dean W. Colvard
Dean W. Colvard
Dean Wallace Colvard is a former president of Mississippi State University, notable for his role in a 1963 controversy surrounding the integration of that school's athletic teams....
relented and fired Walker as football coach, but kept him on as athletic director.
In 1963, the Mississippi State basketball team
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball program represents Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Bulldogs play in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by Rick Stansbury. As of the 2010 season the Bulldogs are 1272-1056...
won the Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament
1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball in the United States. It began on March 9, 1963, and ended with the championship game on March 23 in Louisville,...
. They were set to face Loyola of Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
, an integrated school, but Mississippi state schools had an unwritten prohibition against playing teams with black players. In violation of a court injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
that prohibited the team from leaving the state, Colvard ordered the athletic department staff, including Walker and head basketball coach Babe McCarthy
Babe McCarthy
James Harrison "Babe" McCarthy , sometimes called "Ol' Magnolia Mouth" or just "Magnolia Mouth", was an American professional and collegiate basketball coach. McCarthy was originally from Baldwyn, Mississippi...
, across state lines to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. An assistant coach smuggled the team out of the state from a private airfield, and they met Walker and the rest of the staff before flying to Michigan to play Loyola. Mississippi State lost, 61–51, but returned home without further incident. Walker said, "There I was, acting like a fugitive and running from the law because I was doing something I believed was right."
Mississippi State football fared poorly again in 1966, and Walker and his replacement as head football coach, Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis
Paul E. Davis was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1962 to 1966, compiling a record of 20–28–2.-Playing career:...
, both resigned. Walker returned to Oklahoma to become the school's athletic director, and he served in that position until 1986. In 1987, Walker had moved to La Quinta, California
La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a resort city in Riverside County, California, USA, specifically in the Coachella Valley between Indian Wells and Indio. The population was 37,467 at the 2010 census, up from 23,694 at the 2000 census. The Robb Report credits La Quinta as the nation's leading golf destination...
and was working for the Landmark Land Company.