 Walker with theTennessee Titans in 2018 | |||||||||||||
| No. 46, 82 | |||||||||||||
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| Position | Tight end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (1984-08-12)August 12, 1984 (age 41) Pomona, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | Pomona | ||||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2006: 6th round, 175th overall pick | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Hubert Delanie Walker[1][2] (born August 12, 1984) is an American former professionalfootball player who was atight end for 14 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theCentral Missouri Mules and was selected by theSan Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the2006 NFL draft.
After seven seasons with the 49ers, Walker then played another seven seasons for theTennessee Titans, with whom he was a three-timePro Bowl selection. Walker was released from the Titans after the 2019 season after missing 25 regular-season games over the last two seasons due to an ankle injury.
Walker attended and playedhigh school football atPomona High School.[3] He was a first-team All-Region selection byThe Times, adding All-Division and All-San Gabriel Valley honors as a senior under the direction of head coach John Capraro. Walker was twice chosen Miramonte League Offensive Player of the Year and was selected 2001 Pomona Red Devil of the Year. He played in the East/West All-Star game and also excelled intrack & field, winning the Division III100-meters title after also finishing first in the 2002 Miramonte League Meet.
After high school, Walker originally committed toUTEP, but decided to attendMt. San Antonio College inWalnut, California to improve his academics.[4]
Walker first enrolled atMt. San Antonio College. In 2003, he was ranked seventh on JCFootball.com's "Top 101 Players" list. Walker finished his junior college career with 86 receptions for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns before transferring to theUniversity of Central Missouri.
While atCentral Missouri, Walker set or equaled several receiving records. In two seasons at Central Missouri, he recorded 113 receptions for 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns to go along with 35 career kickoff returns for 965 yards and three touchdowns. Walker's three kickoff returns for touchdowns are tied for the Central Missouri school record. He majored in video production, with a minor in criminal justice. On February 14, 2015, Walker was inducted into the Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.[5]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft1+1⁄4 in (1.86 m) | 240 lb (109 kg) | 32 in (0.81 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 4.49 s | 1.61 s | 2.67 s | 4.60 s | 7.23 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) | 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m) | ||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Pro Day[6][7] | ||||||||||||
Walker was selected bySan Francisco 49ers in the sixth round with the 175th overall pick in the2006 NFL draft.[8] He finished his rookie season with two receptions for 30 yards and had a 25-yard kickoff return in seven games and one start.[9]
During a Week 13 31–14 road loss to theCarolina Panthers, Walker caught his first NFL touchdown on a 21-yard pass fromTrent Dilfer.[10] In the next game against theMinnesota Vikings, Walker had his best game of the season, catching six passes for 66 yards as the 49ers lost by a score of 27–7.[11]
Walker finished his second professional season with 21 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown to go along with 63 return yards in 16 games and 10 starts.[12]
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On June 21, 2008, the 49ers signed Walker to a three-year, $6 million extension with a $1.8 million signing bonus through 2012.[13] During Week 4 of the preseason against theSan Diego Chargers, Walker returned a kickoff for a 101-yard touchdown.[14]
During a Week 3 31–13 victory over theDetroit Lions, Walker caught three passes for 44 yards and his first touchdown of the season.[15]
Walker finished the 2008 season with 10 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown to go along with 257 return yards in 15 games and two starts.[16]
In 2009, Walker recorded 21 receptions for 233 yards to go along with 85 return yards and 34 rushing yards in 16 games and eight starts as the 49ers finished with an 8–8 record.[17][18]
In 2010, Walker recorded 29 receptions for 331 yards to go along with 70 return yards and 18 rushing yards as the 49ers finished with a 6–10 record.[19][20]
In 2011,Jim Harbaugh became head coach of the 49ers, andGreg Roman became the offensive coordinator for the team.[21][22] They praised Walker's skill set and used him in a number of different ways in theWest Coast offense, including different receiver spots, backup fullback, and even as an alternative kickoff returner andgunner on special teams, attributes that earned Walker the nickname of "TheSwiss Army knife" within the team.[23]
During a Week 2 27–24 overtime loss to theDallas Cowboys, Walker caught two passes for 38 yards and his first touchdown of the season and his first since 2008.[24] Three weeks later against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, Walker had two receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown in the 48–3 victory.[25] In the next game against the Lions, he recorded two receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown during the 25–19 road victory.[26] During a Week 10 27–20 victory over theNew York Giants, Walker was the leading receiver, catching six passes for 69 yards.[27]
Walker finished the 2011 season with 19 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 28 return yards in 15 games and seven starts as the 49ers finished atop theNFC West with a 13–3 record.[28][29] In the postseason, Walker caught two passes for 36 yards before the 49ers lost to the eventualSuper Bowl champions, the Giants, in theNFC Championship Game.[30]
During a Week 7 13–6 victory over theSeattle Seahawks onThursday Night Football, Walker caught his first touchdown of the season on a 12-yard pass fromAlex Smith.[31] During a Week 12 31–21 road victory over theNew Orleans Saints, Walker was the leading receiver, recording three receptions for 81 yards.[32] Three weeks later against theNew England Patriots onNBC Sunday Night Football, he had two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown in the 41–34 road victory.[33] In the next game against the Seahawks, Walker recorded four receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown during the 42–13 road loss.[34]
Walker finished the 2012 season with 21 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns to go along with 28 return yards in 16 games and four starts as the 49ers finished atop the NFC West with an 11–4–1 record.[35][36] At the end of the season, Walker and 49ers reachedSuper Bowl XLVII, where he caught three passes for 48 yards, but the 49ers fell behind early and could not come back, losing to theBaltimore Ravens by a score of 34–31.[37]
On March 12, 2013, Walker signed a four-year $17.5 million contract with $8.6 million guaranteed with theTennessee Titans.[38][39]
In his Titans debut, Walker had three receptions for 40 yards as the Titans beat thePittsburgh Steelers on the road by a score of 16–9.[40] In the next game against theHouston Texans, he caught his first touchdown of the season on a 10-yard pass fromJake Locker during the 30–24 overtime road loss.[41] Two weeks later against theNew York Jets, Walker recorded three receptions for 14 yards and a touchdown in the 38–13 victory.[42]
During a Week 7 31–17 loss to his former team, theSan Francisco 49ers, Walker caught three passes for 52 yards and a touchdown.[43] Three weeks later against theJacksonville Jaguars, he had four receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown in the narrow 29–27 loss.[44] In the next game against theIndianapolis Colts, Walker recorded 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown during the 30–27 loss.[45] During a Week 15 37–34 overtime loss to theArizona Cardinals, he caught eight passes for 53 yards and a touchdown.[46]
Walker finished the 2013 season with 60 receptions for 571 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games and 11 starts.[47]
Walker began the season with three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown during the season-opening 26–10 road victory over theKansas City Chiefs.[48] In the next game against the Cowboys, he had a career day with 10 receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown during the 26–10 loss.[49] Two weeks later against theIndianapolis Colts, Walker caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown in the 41–17 road loss.[50]
During a Week 8 30–16 loss to the Texans, Walker recorded four receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown.[51] During a Week 12 43–24 road loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles, he had five receptions for a career-high 155 yards.[52]
Walker finished the 2014 season with 63 receptions for 890 yards and four touchdowns in 15 games and 14 starts.[53]
Walker had a career year in 2015, shattering all Titans records for a tight end, including 1,088 yards receiving.[54] He had previously broken the Titans' tight end receiving yards record in the 2014 season with 890 yards. Walker led all NFL tight ends with 94 receptions and became only the ninth tight end to ever record more than 90 catches in a single season. He was later named to his first careerPro Bowl.[55]
Walker began the season with three receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown in the season-opening 42–14 road victory over the Buccaneers.[56] During a Week 9 34–28 overtime road victory over the Saints, he recorded his first career multi-touchdown game with seven receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns.[57] Two weeks later against the Jaguars, Walker caught eight passes for 109 yards for his third career game with at least 100 yards in the 19–13 road loss.[58]
During a Week 13 42–39 victory over the Jaguars, Walker recorded eight receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.[59] Two weeks later against theNew England Patriots, he had a touchdown that would come off of a highlight-reel play in the fourth quarter. Walker caught a pass from quarterbackZach Mettenberger, broke two tackles, hurdled a man, and stiff-armed another, all while racing down the sideline to the end zone to complete a 57-yard score. Walker finished the 33–16 road loss with two receptions for 64 yards, both for touchdowns.[60] In the regular-season finale against theIndianapolis Colts, he had nine receptions for 94 yards and a 36-yard rush during the 30–24 road loss.[61] Walker was ranked 82nd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2016.[62]
On May 6, 2016, Walker signed a two-year contract extension worth $14.7 million with $8.2 million in guarantees.[63]
Walker began the season catching five passes for 42 yards in the season-opening 25–16 loss to the Vikings.[64] In the next game against the Lions, he had six receptions for 83 yards and his first touchdown of the season during the narrow 16–15 victory.[65] Three weeks later against theMiami Dolphins, Walker recorded five receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in the 30–17 road victory.[66]
Walker began to hit his stride in the middle of the season. During a Week 7 34–26 loss to the Colts, he had seven receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.[67] In the next game against the Jaguars, Walker recorded four receptions for 75 yards, including a season-long 47-yard reception in the third quarter of the 36–22 victory.[68] The following week against the Chargers, he caught five passes for 42 yards and a touchdown during the 43–35 road loss.[69]
During a Week 10 47–25 victory over theGreen Bay Packers, Walker had nine receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.[70] Two weeks later against theChicago Bears, he recorded three receptions for 50 yards and a touchdown in the 27–21 road victory.[71] During a Week 16 38–17 road loss to the Jaguars, Walker caught three passes for 23 yards and his seventh touchdown of the season.[72]
Walker finished the 2016 season with 65 receptions for 800 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in 15 games and 10 starts.[73] He was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl on December 20, 2016.[74] Walker was ranked 75th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2017.[75]
During a Week 2 37–16 road victory over the Jaguars, Walker recorded four receptions for 61 yards and his first rushing touchdown on a one-yard rush in the third quarter.[76] During a Week 12 20–16 road victory over the Colts, Walker had four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.[77] In the next game against the Texans, he put up similar numbers, catching five passes for 63 yards and a touchdown during the 24–13 victory.[78] Two weeks later against his former team, the 49ers, Walker recorded five receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown in the narrow 25–23 road loss.[79]
Walker finished the 2017 season with 74 receptions for 807 yards and three touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown in 16 games and 11 starts.[80] The Titans finished the season with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team.[81][82] During theWild Card Round against the Chiefs, Walker was the leading receiver, catching six passes for 74 yards in the narrow 22–21 road victory.[83] In theDivisional Round against theNew England Patriots, he had three receptions for 49 yards including a 36-yard catch and run during the first quarter of the 35–14 road loss.[84] On January 16, 2018, Walker was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl to replace an injuredTravis Kelce.[85] Walker was named the2018 Pro Bowl offensive MVP after catching the game-winning touchdown, in addition to another touchdown he caught earlier in the game.[86] Walker was ranked 72nd by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2018.[87]
On July 27, 2018, Walker signed a two-year contract extension with the Titans worth $17 million with $12.6 million in guarantees.[88]
During the season-opener against the Dolphins, Walker had four receptions for 52 yards before leaving the eventual 27–20 road loss with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.[89] It was later revealed that he suffered a dislocated ankle and an associated fracture and would miss the rest of the season.[90] Walker was placed on injured reserve on September 10, 2018.[91] Without Walker, the Titans finished 9–7 for the third consecutive year and missed out on the playoffs.[92][93]
Walker returned from his injury in time for the season-opening 43–13 road victory over theCleveland Browns. In that game, Walker recorded five receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns.[94] During a Week 4 24–10 road victory over theAtlanta Falcons, he reached 500 career receptions.[95]
On November 27, 2019, Walker was placed on injured reserve after dealing with an ankle injury for most of the season.[96] Prior to his injury, Walker had 21 receptions for 215 yards and two touchdowns in seven games and four starts.[97] Without him, the Titans finished 9–7 for the fourth consecutive year and lost to the Chiefs in theAFC Championship Game.[98][99]
On March 13, 2020, Walker was released by the Titans after seven seasons.[100]
On the December 9, 2020, episode ofThe Pat McAfee Show, Walker stated that he was staying in shape and could probably play that year. However, Walker did not want to play in2020 due to issues surroundingCOVID-19, among themDez Bryant being removed from warm-ups after testing positive.[101][102]
On June 1, 2021, theSan Francisco 49ers hosted Walker for a workout.[103]
On October 18, 2022, Walker announced his retirement from the NFL, signing a one-day deal with the Titans to retire as a member of the franchise.[104][105]
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2006 | SF | 7 | 1 | 2 | 30 | 15.0 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 25 | 25.0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | SF | 16 | 10 | 21 | 174 | 8.3 | 26 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 63 | 21.0 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | SF | 15 | 2 | 10 | 155 | 15.5 | 53 | 1 | 2 | −13 | −6.5 | −3 | 0 | 13 | 257 | 19.8 | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | SF | 16 | 8 | 21 | 233 | 11.1 | 39 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | SF | 14 | 8 | 29 | 331 | 11.4 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 6.0 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 20 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2011 | SF | 15 | 7 | 19 | 198 | 10.4 | 29T | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | SF | 16 | 4 | 21 | 344 | 16.4 | 45 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2013 | TEN | 15 | 11 | 60 | 571 | 9.5 | 33 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | TEN | 15 | 14 | 63 | 890 | 14.1 | 68 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| 2015 | TEN | 15 | 10 | 94 | 1,088 | 11.6 | 61T | 6 | 1 | 36 | 36.0 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | TEN | 15 | 10 | 65 | 800 | 12.3 | 47 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 16 | 11 | 74 | 807 | 10.9 | 42 | 3 | 2 | −2 | −1.0 | 1T | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | TEN | 1 | 1 | 4 | 52 | 13.0 | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 7 | 4 | 21 | 215 | 10.2 | 29 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 183 | 101 | 504 | 5,888 | 11.7 | 68 | 36 | 16 | 89 | 5.6 | 36 | 1 | 31 | 528 | 17.0 | 35 | 0 | 13 | 6 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Rushing | Returning | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Ret | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2011 | SF | 1 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | SF | 3 | 1 | 5 | 85 | 17.0 | 28 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | TEN | 2 | 2 | 9 | 123 | 13.7 | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | TEN | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | ||||||||||||||||
| Career | 6 | 4 | 16 | 244 | 15.3 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
In 2013, Walker's aunt and uncle were killed by a drunk driver five hours after Walker played inSuper Bowl XLVII. The tragedy motivated him to speak out against drunk driving, and support laws requiring the installation of anignition interlock device for first-time DUI offenders.[106] Walker has three children and is a car and powerboat enthusiast.[107]
Walker co-hosts the weekly NFL and college football gambling showThe Locker Room, presented by theBussin With The Boys podcast, alongside former Titans teammatesWill Compton andTaylor Lewan.
Media related toDelanie Walker at Wikimedia Commons