Erik Walden
No. 93, 50, 52, 53 | |||||||||||||
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Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born: | Dublin, Georgia, U.S. | August 21, 1985||||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||
High school: | Dublin (Dublin, Georgia) | ||||||||||||
College: | Middle Tennessee State | ||||||||||||
NFL draft: | 2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 167 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Erik Lashawn Walden (born August 21, 1985) is a former
Early years
Walden attended Dublin High School where he practiced football, basketball, and track. In football, he played as a running back and defensive end. In basketball, he received All-state honors as a junior and senior.
He moved on to
Walden was injured most of his senior season, which limited his effectiveness, but was still named All-Sun Belt, after finishing second in conference history in career sacks. He ended his college career after playing in 44 games (34 starts) with 152 tackles (40 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defensed and one interception. He owns the school's career (22.5) and season (11.5) sack records.
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Walden was selected in the sixth round (167th overall) of the
Kansas City Chiefs
A day after being let go by the Cowboys, hoping he would clear waivers and enabling them to sign him to their
Miami Dolphins
He was claimed off waivers by the
Green Bay Packers
Walden was signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers on October 27, 2010, because they were experiencing several injuries on the defensive side. In just his second career start he had a breakout game and was named NFC Defensive Player of the week, after playing against the Chicago Bears, while leading the team with 16 tackles and 2 sacks.[3] He was declared inactive in Super Bowl XLV because of an ankle injury, although he made an impact in each of the first three games of the Packers' championship run, including a forced fumble, two quarterback hits and nine tackles.
In 2011, he became a full-time starter (15 starts) for the first time in his career and posted 86 tackles (50 solo), 3 sacks, 2 passes defensed and a fumble recovery that he returned for his first career touchdown. The next year his starts were reduced to 9 games after the Packers drafted Nick Perry. He finished with 69 tackles (38 solo), 3 sacks, 4 passes defensed and his first 2 career interceptions.
Indianapolis Colts
On March 12, 2013, Walden signed a four year, $16 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts.[4][5] In Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans, he pulled Delanie Walker's helmet off and head-butted him, which resulted in a penalty for unnecessary roughness and a one-game suspension.[6] He finished the season with 15 starts, 58 tackles (33 solo), 3 sacks, 3 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
In
In
Tennessee Titans
On July 28, 2017, Walden signed with the
Seattle Seahawks
On August 17, 2018, Walden signed with the Seattle Seahawks.[9] He was placed on injured reserve on September 1, 2018, and later released with an injury settlement.[10]
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
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Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2008 | KAN | 9 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
MIA | 6 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2009 | MIA | 11 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | MIA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
GNB | 9 | 2 | 25 | 21 | 4 | 2.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2011 | GNB | 16 | 15 | 60 | 41 | 19 | 3.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
2012 | GNB | 15 | 9 | 46 | 27 | 19 | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | IND | 15 | 15 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 3.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 0 |
2014 | IND | 15 | 14 | 37 | 25 | 12 | 6.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2015 | IND | 15 | 15 | 42 | 28 | 14 | 3.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2016 | IND | 16 | 16 | 42 | 31 | 11 | 11.0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017 | TEN | 16 | 2 | 36 | 25 | 11 | 4.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
145 | 88 | 356 | 244 | 112 | 35.0 | 50 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 1 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | TFL | Int | Yds | TD | Lng | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | ||
2008 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2010 | GNB | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | GNB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2012 | GNB | 2 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | IND | 2 | 2 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2014 | IND | 3 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2017 | TEN | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
14 | 9 | 42 | 26 | 16 | 4.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Personal life
Walden has two children with an ex-girlfriend, Erica Palmer.[11] On November 25, 2011, he was arrested for an alleged physical altercation that sent Palmer to the hospital. Police stated they had enough evidence to hold him under felony charges through Monday, as his case could not be processed over the Thanksgiving weekend.[12] Charges were later dropped, and Walden was not suspended by the league.[13]
On March 19, 2015, it was reported that Walden and an unnamed female companion had been attacked by Palmer. She allegedly confronted Walden at his Braselton, Georgia home with a gun and a baseball bat, and while he was able to take the gun from her, Palmer used the bat to break the arm of the unnamed woman. Palmer then fled, but returned to attack Walden, slashing his arm with a knife. Palmer was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, family violence aggravated assault, theft by taking, and first-degree burglary.[11][14]
Walden was inducted into the Middle Tennessee State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. [15]
References
- ^ "Erik Walden Bio". GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved April 27, 2008.
- ^ "2008 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- ^ "LB Walden Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week". Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Colts sign former Packers OLB Erik Walden[permanent dead link]
- ^ "NFL Free Agency: Best, worst contracts from Week 1" SportsIllustrated.com. Retrieved 2013-Mar-18.
- ^ Hanzus, Dan (November 18, 2013). "Report: Erik Walden suspended a game for head-butt". National Football League. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
- ^ Wyatt, Jim (July 28, 2017). "Titans Add LB Walden, G Simonich; Tretola, Ragin Released". TitansOnline.com.
- ^ "Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars - September 17th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
- ^ "Seahawks Sign LB Erik Walden, RB Justin Stockton; Terminate Contract of LB Marcus Smith, Waive CB Elijah Battle". Seahawks.com. August 17, 2018.
- ^ "Seahawks Set 53-Man Roster". Seahawks.com. September 1, 2018.
- ^ a b Florio, Mike. "Erik Walden allegedly slashed by ex-girlfriend". March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Reports: Packers' Erik Walden jailed". espn.go.com. November 26, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Packers re-sign LB Walden". chicagotribune.com. March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ "Colts' Erik Walden, girlfriend allegedly attacked in Georgia by his ex". indystar.com. March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
- ^ Vardaman, Josh (August 12, 2019). "2019 Blue Raider Sports Hall of Fame: Erik Walden". GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
External links
- Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders bio
- Tennessee Titans bio Archived June 12, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
- Green Bay Packers bio