Javon Walker
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| Javon Walker | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | October 14, 1978 |
| Place of birth | Galveston, Texas |
| Position(s) | Wide receiver |
| College | Florida State University |
| NFL Draft | 2002 / Round 1/ Pick 20 |
| Pro Bowls | 2005 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2002-2005 2006-Present |
Green Bay Packers Denver Broncos |
Javon Lataff Walker (born October 14, 1978 in Galveston, Texas) is a professional American football player who is currently a wide receiver for the NFL's Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers as a first round pick (20th overall) in the 2002 NFL draft, from Florida State University.
Walker was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the eighth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft, and spent three years in the minor leagues of the organization.
Attended Jones County Junior College, where he was a teammate with Deion Branch, before enrolling at Florida State University.
Walker became the fourth player in the history of the NFL to have 100 receiving yards in each of his first two playoff games (2002 vs. Atlanta, 2003 vs. Seattle).
He was selected to the NFC's Pro Bowl team for the first time for the 2004 season, following a breakout year.
In the first game of the 2005 NFL regular season, Walker injured his ACL on a 55-yard deep ball from Brett Favre after he pushed off Detroit Lions cornerback Fernando Bryant, putting him on injured reserve for the season.
In 2006 Walker, backed by new agent Kennard McGuire, stated that he would not play for the Green Bay Packers again and would retire if he was not traded. Walker has 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 quarterback Brett Favre's comments on his plans to hold out for a better contract last year made living in Wisconsin 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 he'll 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 the following 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 the Collective 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 was traded to the Denver Broncos for Denver's second round pick (37th overall pick) in the 2006 NFL Draft 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.
[edit] Trivia
- Was portrayed in the game NFL Street.
