Wesley Walker
Encyclopedia
Wesley Darcel Walker is a former professional American football
wide receiver
for the New York Jets
in 1977
- 1989
.
Walker graduated from Carson High School in Carson, California
where he set many receiving and return records, and was an All-American at the University of California
.
He was noted for his great speed, averaging over 20 yards per reception over many seasons (his career average was 19 yards per reception). At the time of his retirement, he was second in Jets all-time receiving yardage. Legally blind in one eye, Walker overcame this handicap to become one of the Jets all-time great receivers.
He led the league in receiving yards in 1978, was elected to the Pro Bowl
twice 1978
and 1982
, and was named the New York Jets MVP in 1978.
Walker was one of the dominant players in the 1982 NFL Playoffs
: in two postseason games, he caught 15 passes for 314 yards and 2 touchdown
s, as the Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals
and the Los Angeles Raiders, both on the road.
His best receiving season came in 1983
, when he caught 61 receptions; and in 1986 he had a career-best 12 receiving touchdowns. Four of them were scored in week three, as he caught a game-winning touchdown from the Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien
in overtime to give the Jets a wild shootout win 51-45 over the Miami Dolphins
.
When he retired, he had caught 438 passes for 8306 yards and 71 touchdowns.
Walker is now a physical education teacher at Park View Elementary School in Kings Park, New York, and an occasional sports radio
show commentator
. He has two sons and a daughter. His older son, John, was a 3x All-American lacrosse player at The United States Military Academy at West Point. His younger son, Austin, played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the godfather of Alexandra Florant, the daughter of the track and field star Carl Florant.
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...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1977
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
- 1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
.
Walker graduated from Carson High School in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
where he set many receiving and return records, and was an All-American at the University of California
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
.
He was noted for his great speed, averaging over 20 yards per reception over many seasons (his career average was 19 yards per reception). At the time of his retirement, he was second in Jets all-time receiving yardage. Legally blind in one eye, Walker overcame this handicap to become one of the Jets all-time great receivers.
He led the league in receiving yards in 1978, was elected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
twice 1978
1978 Pro Bowl
The 1978 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 23, 1978 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida. The final score was NFC 14, AFC 13. Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears was the game's MVP....
and 1982
1982 Pro Bowl
The 1982 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 31, 1982 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 16, NFC 13. Kellen Winslow of the San Diego Chargers and Lee Roy Selmon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the game's MVPs. The referee was Red Cashion....
, and was named the New York Jets MVP in 1978.
Walker was one of the dominant players in the 1982 NFL Playoffs
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
: in two postseason games, he caught 15 passes for 314 yards and 2 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s, as the Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
and the Los Angeles Raiders, both on the road.
His best receiving season came in 1983
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
, when he caught 61 receptions; and in 1986 he had a career-best 12 receiving touchdowns. Four of them were scored in week three, as he caught a game-winning touchdown from the Jets quarterback Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...
in overtime to give the Jets a wild shootout win 51-45 over the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
When he retired, he had caught 438 passes for 8306 yards and 71 touchdowns.
Walker is now a physical education teacher at Park View Elementary School in Kings Park, New York, and an occasional sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
show 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...
. He has two sons and a daughter. His older son, John, was a 3x All-American lacrosse player at The United States Military Academy at West Point. His younger son, Austin, played lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University. He is also the godfather of Alexandra Florant, the daughter of the track and field star Carl Florant.