Kenyatta Walker
Encyclopedia
Idrees Kenyatta Walker is a former American college and professional football
player who was offensive tackle in the National Football League
(NFL) for six seasons in the early 2000s. Walker played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
of the NFL.
in 1979. He attended Meridian High School, where he was a standout high school football
player for the Meridian Wildcats. As a senior in 1996, Walker was an all-state selection and receive high school All-American honors from PrepStar and USA Today
.
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, and played on the offensive line for coach Steve Spurrier
's Florida Gators football
team from 1998 to 2000
, after redshirting in 1997. Walker was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection in 1999 and received first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors in 2000, winning the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
as a junior
in 2000. After his junior season, Walker decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the NFL Draft
.
After his NFL career ended, Walker returned to Gainesville to complete his degree, graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor of arts
in sociology
in 2007.
, and he played for the Buccaneers for six seasons from to . He was originally slated to play left tackle and protect the quarterback's blindside. However, after his rookie season he was switched to right tackle, where he found success, starting at this position for the Buccaneer's Super Bowl XXXVII
victory over the Oakland Raiders
. After starting in seventy-three of the seventy-five games in which he played, the Buccaneers released Walker on March 1, 2007.
On August 13, 2007, The Carolina Panthers
signed Walker as a free agent; he was released by the team on September 1 during final cuts. On September 8, 2008, Walker was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League
(CFL), and was assigned to their practice roster.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was offensive tackle in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for six seasons in the early 2000s. Walker played college football
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...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
of the NFL.
Early years
Walker was born in Meridian, MississippiMeridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
in 1979. He attended Meridian High School, where he was a standout high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
player for the Meridian Wildcats. As a senior in 1996, Walker was an all-state selection and receive high school All-American honors from PrepStar and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
.
College career
Walker received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, and played on the offensive line for coach Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1998 to 2000
2000 Florida Gators football team
September 30, 2000The Florida Gators came into Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Mississippi ranked third in the nation. The unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs ran for 351 yards, 172 yards and a touchdown for Dicenzo Miller, and 156 yards and a touchdown for Dontae Walker. Bulldogs quarterback...
, after redshirting in 1997. Walker was a second-team All-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) selection in 1999 and received first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors in 2000, winning the SEC's Jacobs Blocking Trophy
Jacobs Blocking Trophy
The Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
as a junior
Junior (education)
"Junior" is a term used in the United States to describe a student in their 3rd year of study . A Junior is considered an upperclassman...
in 2000. After his junior season, Walker decided to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the NFL Draft
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
.
After his NFL career ended, Walker returned to Gainesville to complete his degree, graduating from the University of Florida with a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
in 2007.
Awards and honors
- Knoxville News-Sentinel All-SECSoutheastern ConferenceThe Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(1998) - Football News Freshman All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (1998) - Co-recipient of Gators' Best Effort Award (1999)
- Second-team All-SEC (1999)
- Gators' Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman (2000)
- Consensus first-team All-SEC (2000)
- Jacobs Blocking TrophyJacobs Blocking TrophyThe Jacobs Blocking Trophy is the name of several similar annual college football awards bestowed by a conference upon their best blocker. The awards are named in honor of , the founder and president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945. The trophies are awarded by his sons, Hugh and William...
(2000) - All-American selection by Associated PressAssociated PressThe 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...
, Sporting News, Football News, Sports Xchange and Walter Camp (2000) - Outland TrophyOutland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named All-America at two positions, Outland garnered consensus All-America honors in...
semifinalist (2000)
Professional career
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Walker in first round (fourteenth pick overall) of the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, and he played for the Buccaneers for six seasons from to . He was originally slated to play left tackle and protect the quarterback's blindside. However, after his rookie season he was switched to right tackle, where he found success, starting at this position for the Buccaneer's Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
victory over the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After starting in seventy-three of the seventy-five games in which he played, the Buccaneers released Walker on March 1, 2007.
On August 13, 2007, The Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
signed Walker as a free agent; he was released by the team on September 1 during final cuts. On September 8, 2008, Walker was signed by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL), and was assigned to their practice roster.
See also
- 2000 College Football All-America Team2000 College Football All-America TeamThe 2000 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Pro Football Weekly, Football News, Sports Illustrated and...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1990–1999
- History of the Tampa Bay BuccaneersHistory of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-John McKay and early frustration :The Buccaneers joined the NFL as members of the AFC West in 1976. The following year, they were moved to the NFC Central, while the other 1976 expansion team, the Seattle Seahawks, switched conferences with Tampa Bay and joined the AFC West...
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of SEC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winners
- List of Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round draft picks
- List of University of Florida alumni