25 Reasons Why Herschel Walker was a Great Football Player

These are 25 football facts about the great Herschel Walker. Many of these facts are hard to believe as Walker did some amazing things in his football career at all levels from high school through college and into the pros.

Herschel Walker broke ground in 1983 when he left college after his junior year to join the new USFL football league. At the time underclassmen were forbidden to leave college early for the NFL but Herschel Walker had just won the Heisman Trophy as a junior and wanted to move on to pro football.

Also included are a few amazing facts about Herschel Walker outside of football.

25 Reasons Why Herschel Walker was a Great Football Player

1. Herschel Walker has the most yards in pro football history with 25,283 yards accumulated during 3 USFL seasons and 12 NFL seasons.

2. Herschel Walker averaged 105 total yards per game played in his pro football career (25,283 yards in 241 games).

3. Herschel Walker averaged 97 yards per game in his NFL career (18,168 yards in 187 games). Jerry Rice the all-time leader in all purpose yards in NFL history averaged 78 yards per game (23,546 yards in 303 games).

4. Herschel Walker scored 145 total TD's in his pro football career which ties him with Marcus Allen for 6th all time.

5. Tom Landry believed Walker was a better receiver than running back and often split him out as a WR in formations.

6. Herschel Walker caught 642 passes in his pro football career for 6,343 yards good for a 9.9 yards per catch average.

7. Herschel Walker holds the record for most rushing yards in a season with 2,411 in 1985 with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL (in 18 games).

8. In 1989 the Dallas Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for an incredible 5 players and 6 draft picks.

9. Herschel Walker won the Heisman Trophy Award in 1982 playing for the Georgia Bulldogs.

10. Walker broke the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,616 yards in 1980.

11. Walker finished in the top 3 in the Heisman balloting all three years he played college football 1980-1982.

12. In 1979 Herschel Walker lead his Johnson County High School Trojans to their only state football championship while rushing for an incredible 3,179 yards.

13. Walker rushed for 6,137 yards on 784 carries in his high school football career for a 7.8 yard per carry average and scored 86 TD's.

14. Walker was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 - what took them so long?

15. In 2003 his high school Alma Mater named its football field Herschel Walker Field to honor its greatest star.

16. On December 14, 1986 vs the Philadelphia Eagles Herschel Walker had both a receiving TD and a rushing TD of 84 yards for the Dallas Cowboys.

17. In that same game Walker totaled 292 yards on just 15 touches or 19.5 yards per touch average.

18. Again in the same game Walker rushed for 122 yards on 6 carries (20.3 yard average) and caught 9 passes for 170 yards (18.9 yards per catch).

19. In 1994 while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles Herschel Walker had a 91 yard rushing TD, a 93 yard receiving TD and a 94 yard kick-off return TD.

Herschel Walker competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics and finished 7th in the two-man bobsled.

Herschel Walker was on the Apprentice TV show where he competed to be hired by Donald Trump who was already Walker's boss when Trump owned the New Jersey Generals in the USFL league.

Walker is a 5th degree black belt in taekwondo and competes in mixed martial arts competitions.

He has been timed in the 100 yard dash at 9.3 seconds and 10.22 seconds in the 100 meter dash - both world class times.

20. Walker lead the Georgia Bulldogs to an undefeated season and the National Championship in 1980 his freshman year.

21. Herschel Walker never won a Super Bowl or a USFL Championship as a pro.

22. Counting high school, college and the pros Herschel Walker rushed for 25,183 yards on 4,875 carries for a 5.2 yards per carry average.

23. Walker rushed for 5,259 yards in college for the Georgia Bulldogs on 994 carries for a 5.3 yards per carry average from 1980-1982.

24. Walker scored 52 TD's in college over 3 years or 17 TD's per year.

25. Counting high school, college and the pros Herschel Walker scored 283 TD's.

For more see Most Yards Per Catch in Pro Football History

Most Rushing Yards Per Carry in Pro Football History

Top 10 Most All Purpose Yards in NFL History

Sources:

Pro-Football Reference

Herschel Walker on Wikipedia

Johnson County Trojans