 Walker with theGreen Bay Packers in 2004 | |||||||||
| No. 84 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1978-10-14)October 14, 1978 (age 47) Galveston, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | St. Thomas More(Lafayette, Louisiana) | ||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2002: 1st round, 20th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Javon Liteff Walker (born October 14, 1978) is an American former professionalfootball player. He was awide receiver in theNational Football League (NFL) and he was drafted by theGreen Bay Packers 20th overall in the2002 NFL draft.[1] He playedcollege football for theFlorida State Seminoles.
Walker also played for theDenver Broncos andOakland Raiders. He was selected to thePro Bowl with the Packers in2004.
Walker played forSt. Thomas More High School inLafayette,Louisiana. He holds the records at his high school for most career touchdowns, most touchdowns in a game, and longest play from scrimmage. Walker was drafted by theFlorida Marlins in the 12th round (366th overall) of the 1997Major League Baseball draft, and spent three years in the minor leagues of the organization.
Walker attendedJones County Junior College inEllisville, Mississippi, where he wasDeion Branch's teammate, before enrolling atFlorida State University. Walker was also a triple jumper, with a best jump of 15.40 meters, and had a personal-best mark of 6.91 meters in the long jump.
| 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 ft2+3⁄4 in (1.90 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 32+1⁄2 in (0.83 m) | 9+3⁄4 in (0.25 m) | 4.35 s | 1.50 s | 2.51 s | 4.05 s | 6.86 s | 39.5 in (1.00 m) | 10 ft 8 in (3.25 m) | ||
| All values fromNFL Combine[2][3] | ||||||||||||
After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers, Walker became the fourth player in NFL history to have 100 receiving yards in each of his first two playoff games (2002 vs.Atlanta and 2003 vs.Seattle). He was selected to theNFC'sPro Bowl team for the first time for the2004 season, following a breakout year.
After the 2004 season, Walker, backed by new agent Drew Rosenhaus, said that he would not play for the Green Bay Packers again and would retire if he was not traded. Walker had been at odds with the organization since management refused to renegotiate his contract that had two years remaining on it after his Pro Bowl season in 2004, when he caught 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. "I just don't like the way the organization runs itself", Walker told ESPN.com. "They want players to come up there and play hard and work hard, but when it comes time to be compensated, it's like, 'We forgot what you've done.'" Walker also said quarterbackBrett Favre's comments on his plans to hold out for a better contract last year made living inWisconsin difficult, and he felt it was unfair that the team let Favre interfere with Walker's squabble with management. "There's an unwritten rule that players stick together," Walker said. Walker said he would not show up for training camp or come back at all for the final season of his contract regardless of whether Favre decided to retire or return. He said he'll repay the Packers the prorated portion of his signing bonus to leave Green Bay. "Why should I risk another year of getting beat up playing for a team that I don't want to play for? That's stupid", Walker said. Walker said that he would be ready for the 2006 season wherever he lands. "If I'm going to go out and take hits, it's going to be for a team that I love playing for", Walker said. "I'm not going to grandstand. I just want the Packers to give me peace of mind."
Ted Thompson released a statement regarding the interview:
During his time as a Green Bay Packer, Javon Walker has been well thought of by everyone here. I like Javon, certainly as a person and as a player. That said, Javon is under contract, which he signed as a 2002 first-round draft choice. That contract is governed by theCollective Bargaining Agreement, which was negotiated between the National Football League and the National Football League Players’ Association, and we expect him to honor it. There have been several highly publicized cases of player discontent in the National Football League. I don’t anticipate us making any concessions in this matter. We will continue to stay the course, and the Green Bay Packers will have no further comment on this topic.
Walker eventually backed off of his threats to hold out and reported to camp. In the first game of the2005 season, Walker injured hisACL on a pass from Favre. The Packers placed Walker oninjured reserve for the remainder of the season.
The Packers traded Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second round pick in the2006 NFL draft (later used by theAtlanta Falcons to selectJimmy F. Williams) on April 29, 2006. He signed a five-year deal worth more than $40 million, including roster bonuses totaling $15 million in 2007 and 2008. Walker recovered from his previous injury, and was productive during the 2006 season. He caught sixty-nine passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. Following the Broncos' season finale against theSan Francisco 49ers, Walker was in a vehicle that was shot at in downtownDenver, killing teammateDarrent Williams. After Williams was shot, he fell into Walker's lap. In memory of Williams, Walker wore a hairstyle called the "fro-hawk", made famous by Williams, to begin the 2007 season.[4] Walker said in an interview withAndrea Kremer ofHBO'sReal Sports that the attacks likely stemmed from a confrontation with bar patrons involving rookie wideoutBrandon Marshall and his cousin.
On February 29, 2008, the Broncos released Walker after being unable to trade him.[5]
On March 4, 2008, theOakland Raiders signed Walker to a six-year, $55 million contract that included $16 million in guaranteed money.[6] In November 2008, Walker announced that he'd miss the rest of the season due to injury. For the season, Walker played in eight games, had 15 receptions for 196 yards and one touchdown. For the 2009 season, Walker played in only three games and had no statistics. He was released by the team on March 8, 2010.
For his two seasons of employment with the Raiders, Walker collected $21 million.[7]
On August 23, 2010, it was reported Walker would sign with the Minnesota Vikings, who had also tried outBrandon Jones to make up the depth at wide receiver. Jones would later sign with theSeattle Seahawks. The signing was largely brought about due toSidney Rice undergoing hip surgery and missing half of the season and health concerns aboutPercy Harvin, who suffered from recurring migraines. Walker was released September 5, 2010, before the regular season opener.
On December 11, 2010, Walker was suspended by the NFL for four games.[8] Although four-game suspensions were at that time handed out by the league for violating either the league's substance abuse policy or steroids policy, it was unclear which applied to Walker's situation.[9]
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FD | Fum | Lost | |||
| 2002 | GB | 15 | 23 | - | 319 | 13.9 | 30 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | GB | 16 | 41 | - | 816 | 17.5 | 66 | 9 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 2004 | GB | 16 | 89 | 137 | 1,382 | 15.5 | 79 | 12 | 63 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | GB | 1 | 4 | - | 27 | 6.8 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | DEN | 16 | 69 | 125 | 1,084 | 15.7 | 83 | 8 | 53 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | DEN | 8 | 26 | 50 | 287 | 11.0 | 24 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | OAK | 8 | 15 | 32 | 196 | 13.1 | 29 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Career[10] | 83 | 267 | 207 | 4,011 | 15.0 | 83 | 31 | 181 | 4 | 4 | |
Just after 7 A.M. on June 16, 2008, Walker was found unconscious inLas Vegas on a street just off theLas Vegas Strip. The previous evening he had been at Body English, a nightclub at theHard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. He left at approximately 5 A.M. the next morning. After being found unconscious, Walker was taken to a local hospital with what police described as "significant injuries," including a concussion. He was listed in fair condition and released from the hospital on June 18.[11][12]
Police said Walker was the victim of an apparent robbery, as a large amount of cash and some jewelry were taken from him.[13] Police arrested two suspects, one in late June (Arfat Fadel)[14] and the other in early July.[15] On July 7, 2010, Deshawn Lamont Thomas, an 11-time convicted felon, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his part in the crime.[16]
Football:
Baseball: