Wesley Walker
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No. 85 | |||
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Position: | Wide receiver | ||
Personal information | |||
Born: | San Bernardino, California, U.S. | May 26, 1955||
Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
Weight: | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||
Career information | |||
College: | California | ||
NFL draft: | 1977 / Round: 2 / Pick: 33 | ||
Career history | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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Career NFL statistics | |||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Wesley Darcel Walker (born May 26, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 to 1989.
Early life
Walker graduated from
Professional career
Walker played in 13 games for the 1981 season, catching 47 passes for 770 yards with nine touchdowns. In his first playoff game as a receiver, facing the Buffalo Bills, he caught three passes for 24 yards in the 31–27 loss.[10] The strike-shortened 1982 season saw Walker lose no steps in nine games. He caught 39 passes for 620 yards with six touchdowns while receiving a Pro Bowl selection. He had his first three-touchdown game on December 6 in a 28–13 win over Detroit.[11] In the Wild Card round against the Cincinnati Bengals, he caught eight passes for 145 yards for a touchdown in the 44–17 victory.[12] He continued his ways in the Divisional Round versus Los Angeles, catching seven passes for 169 yards and a touchdown to opening the scoring in a 17–14 victory. It would not extend to the AFC Championship against Miami, where he caught one pass for zero yards in a 14–0 loss.[13][14] His best receiving season came in 1983, when he had 61 receptions to go with 868 yards and eight touchdowns in a full season of play. He played in twelve games in 1984 and caught 41 passes for 623 yards with seven touchdowns. He played the same amount of games the following year and caught 34 passes for 725 yards with five touchdowns while the Jets made the playoffs. He caught four passes for 54 yards in a 26–14 loss to New England. In 1986, he appeared in each game and caught 49 passes for 1,016 yards with a career-high twelve touchdowns. Four of them (a career best in a game for Walker) came in the September 21 game against Miami, which included both the game-tying and game-winning touchdown from Ken O'Brien in a wild 51–45 victory.[15] The Jets made the playoffs for the fourth and final time with Walker on the roster. In the Wild Card game versus Kansas City, he caught two passes for 45 yards in the 35–15 victory. In the Divisional Round game against Cleveland, he caught the first score of the game from Pat Ryan while catching one other pass in a game that the Jets lost 23–20 in double overtime.[16] Walker played in just five games in 1987, which was marred by a strike that saw Walker and other players not cross the picket lines while replacement players were used for three weeks. He separated his shoulder early against the Seattle Seahawks and ended up missing the rest of the season, having caught nine whole passes for 190 yards and one touchdown.[17] He played in just six games of the 1988 season due to ankle issues, catching eight passes for 89 yards, with his last catch being against Atlanta on November 26.[18] On April 12, 1990, the Jets cut Walker, and he retired not long after that.[19]
He was noted for his great speed, averaging over 20 yards per reception over many seasons (his career average was 19 yards per reception).
Personal life
Walker is now a retired physical education teacher at Park View Elementary School in Kings Park, New York, and an occasional
Like many former NFL players, Walker has a variety of ailments as a direct result from his playing days, which he detailed in a revealing 2016 interview with Long Island Pulse Magazine.
Walker was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Football Category with the Class of 2000.
References
- ^ "Wesley Walker College Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved June 7, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wesley Walker 1977 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "New England Patriots at New York Jets – October 2nd, 1977". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Wesley Walker 1978 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "Wesley Walker 1979 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "Wesley Walker 1981 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Wesley Walker Career Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Wild Card - New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals - January 9th, 1983". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Divisional Round - New York Jets at Los Angeles Raiders - January 15th, 1983". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "AFC Championship - New York Jets at Miami Dolphins - January 23rd, 1983". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins at New York Jets - September 21st, 1986". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Divisional Round - New York Jets at Cleveland Browns - January 3rd, 1987". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "Wesley Walker 1989 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "Visual Cues Compensate for Blindness in One Eye". The New York Times. September 13, 1983. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ Gehman, Jim (February 21, 2019). "Where Are They Now: Wesley Walker". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ "New York Jets Career Receiving Leaders". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
- ^ "Jets add Gastineau, Walker to Ring of Honor". ESPN.com. Associated Press. October 9, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Prato, Greg (January 22, 2016). "The Dark Side of Life After the NFL". Long Island Pulse Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
- ^ Brenner, Elsa (September 5, 1999). "Mercy College Head Extends Her Hand". The New York Times. Retrieved December 26, 2019.