Wayne Walker
Encyclopedia
Wayne Harrison Walker (born September 30, 1936 in Boise
, Idaho
) is a former professional
football
player and sports broadcaster
. He played in the NFL
for fifteen seasons, from 1958
-72
for the Detroit Lions
. A starter throughout his career, #55 played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb. outside linebacker
, the most ever at that position.
in 1954. He passed on an offer to play professional baseball
in order to play college football
at the University of Idaho
, as a center
and middle linebacker for new head coach
Skip Stahley
. In his senior season in 1957
, he served as a team captain
. In that era, Idaho was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference
, the forerunner of the Pac-10. Walker's teammate (and roommate) at Idaho was Jerry Kramer
, a future All-Pro
offensive lineman (right guard
) with the Green Bay Packers
. Both players were selected for the East-West Shrine Game
, the College All-Star Game
(vs. the 1957
NFL champs (Detroit Lions
) at Soldier Field
in summer 1958; defeating the Lions 35-19), and in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft
. They were the first players from Idaho to be drafted by the pros, both picked in the top 50. In the East-West Shrine Game
at Kezar Stadium
in San Francisco
, Walker had fifteen tackles
, two interceptions, and blocked a kick
. He was voted the outstanding defensive player of the game.
(Kramer was the 39th), held on December 2, 1957 (first four rounds). Both Walker (#53) and Kramer (#64) had their numbers retired at Idaho, and both would serve, in mid-career, as placekicker
s for their respective NFL teams. In college, Walker was the long snapper
on the kicks, with Kramer handling the placekicking for the Vandals.
for KPIX-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Francisco
for twenty years (1974-94), where he succeeded Barry Tompkins
. He was also a commentator
for the San Francisco 49ers
' radio broadcasts for over twenty years and a commentator on Oakland Athletics
baseball broadcasts from 1976–80 and in 1985. He also broadcast regional NFL games for several years on CBS
. Walker retired from broadcasting in 1999 and he and his wife Sylvia have resided in the Boise
area since 1994.
As a teenage outfielder in the early 1950s, Walker often played baseball against Harmon Killebrew
, the future hall of famer who grew up in Payette
, about 50 miles (80.5 km) west of Boise. The two were the same age (Killebrew was three months older) and were friends for over half a century. They worked together on baseball broadcasts of the Oakland A's in 1979.
in June 2007, Walker lost 60 lb. (27 kg) after chemotherapy
and radiation treatment. As of 2009 he was healthy again had regained most of the weight loss.
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
) is a former professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
football
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 and sports broadcaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He played in the NFL
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...
for fifteen seasons, from 1958
1958 Detroit Lions season
The 1958 Detroit Lions season was their 29th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 8-4, winning only four games.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
-72
1972 Detroit Lions season
The 1972 Detroit Lions season was their 43rd in the league. The team improved on their previous season's output of 7-6-1, winning eight games. The team missed the playoffs for the second straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. A starter throughout his career, #55 played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb. outside linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
, the most ever at that position.
Early years
Walker was raised in Boise and graduated from Boise High SchoolBoise High School
Boise High School is the one of five public traditional high schools within the city of Boise, Idaho. It is one of four Boise School District three year comprehensive high schools and is located on the outerlying edge of the city's downtown business core...
in 1954. He passed on an offer to play professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in order to play 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...
at the University of Idaho
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
, as a center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
and middle linebacker for new head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Skip Stahley
Skip Stahley
J. Neil "Skip" Stahley was a college football coach and athletic director. In sixteen seasons as a head coach, his overall record was 56–85–3 ....
. In his senior season in 1957
1957 in sports
1957 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* NFL Championship – Detroit Lions won 59-14 over the Cleveland Browns.*College football champions Auburn University-Association football:...
, he served as a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
. In that era, Idaho was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
, the forerunner of the Pac-10. Walker's teammate (and roommate) at Idaho was Jerry Kramer
Jerry Kramer
Gerald Louis "Jerry" Kramer is a former professional football player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive lineman...
, a future All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
offensive lineman (right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
) with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Both players were selected for the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
, the College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
(vs. the 1957
1957 NFL season
The 1957 NFL season was the 38th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended when the Detroit Lions crushed the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship Game, 59–14.-Major rule changes:...
NFL champs (Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
) at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in summer 1958; defeating the Lions 35-19), and in the fourth round of the 1958 NFL Draft
1958 NFL Draft
The 1958 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1957 and January 28, 1958 .This was the last year in which the Lottery Bonus pick was used.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
. They were the first players from Idaho to be drafted by the pros, both picked in the top 50. In the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
at Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, Walker had fifteen tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, two interceptions, and blocked a kick
Kick (football)
Kicking is a method used by many types of football, including:* Association football* Australian rules football* International rules football* American football* Canadian football* Gaelic football* Rugby league* Rugby union...
. He was voted the outstanding defensive player of the game.
NFL career
Walker was the 45th overall pick of the 1958 NFL Draft1958 NFL Draft
The 1958 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1957 and January 28, 1958 .This was the last year in which the Lottery Bonus pick was used.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
(Kramer was the 39th), held on December 2, 1957 (first four rounds). Both Walker (#53) and Kramer (#64) had their numbers retired at Idaho, and both would serve, in mid-career, as placekicker
Placekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
s for their respective NFL teams. In college, Walker was the long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
on the kicks, with Kramer handling the placekicking for the Vandals.
Broadcasting career
After his retirement from the NFL, Walker was the sports directorSports Director
A sports director is an individual at a television or radio station who is in charge of the sports department. In local news, the sports director is typically the station's primary sportscaster, and often anchors the primetime newscasts on weekdays. They are in charge of sports programming and...
for KPIX-TV, the CBS affiliate in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
for twenty years (1974-94), where he succeeded Barry Tompkins
Barry Tompkins
Barry Tompkins is a well-known American sportscaster. He is better known for his work as a boxing commentator, but he has covered football and another number of sports as well.-San Francisco, New York City and NBC:...
. He was also a commentator
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
' radio broadcasts for over twenty years and a commentator on Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
baseball broadcasts from 1976–80 and in 1985. He also broadcast regional NFL games for several years on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
. Walker retired from broadcasting in 1999 and he and his wife Sylvia have resided in the Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
area since 1994.
As a teenage outfielder in the early 1950s, Walker often played baseball against Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
, the future hall of famer who grew up in Payette
Payette, Idaho
Payette is a city in and the county seat of Payette County, Idaho, United States. The population was 7,054 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Ontario, OR–ID Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, about 50 miles (80.5 km) west of Boise. The two were the same age (Killebrew was three months older) and were friends for over half a century. They worked together on baseball broadcasts of the Oakland A's in 1979.
Throat cancer
Diagnosed with throat cancerHead and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
in June 2007, Walker lost 60 lb. (27 kg) after chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
and radiation treatment. As of 2009 he was healthy again had regained most of the weight loss.
External links
- Detroit Lions.com - Wayne Walker
- Wayne Walker's NFL statistics
- Local Emmy award - S.F. Bay area
- University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - Wayne Walker
- Boise High School - Hall of Fame - Wayne Walker
- You Tube.com – video – Wayne Walker as KPIX sports anchor – “The Play” (Cal-Stanford) in slow-motion – November 1982
