The Evolution Of Herschel Walker

From a stellar career as an athlete to a GOP candidate for U.S. Senate, one thing has been a constant: his friendship with Donald Trump.

From humble beginnings in rural Georgia to one of the highest-profile, but mystifying candidates for the U.S. Senate in recent memory, Herschel Walkerโ€™s is one interesting journey.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?
Trump’s Tariffs Might Stick Around. What Should We Buy Now?

Early Life

Image: AP MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; WXIA OUT; WGCL OUT

Herschel Walker was born March 3, 1962 in Wrightsville, Georgia, a small, rural town about two-and-a-half hours southeast of Atlanta. Always a gifted athlete, he starred in football, basketball and track. He earned the now-discontinued Dial Award for his school athlete of the year in 1979.

A record run at UGA

Image: AP ASSOCIATED PRESS

In 1980, Walker entered college at the University of Georgia where he quickly made his mark at the top running back in the schoolโ€™s history. In 1980, he set a then NCAA record for rushing yards by a freshman. He was the star of a 1981 team that won college footballโ€™s national championship and went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1982. But despite all his on-field accolades, Walker never completed his studies at UGA, a fact that would later give birth to another of his factual distortions on the campaign trial that he had graduated at the top of his class.

Choosing the USFL over the NFL

Image: AP ASSOCIATED PRESS

Walker left UGA in 1982 as the USFL, a fledgling competitor to the NFL, was just getting off the ground. While the NFL was bigger and more established, the USFL had an advantage in luring a young star who wanted to make his money right away: it didnโ€™t require draftees to have completed all four years of college or wait for their classmates to do so. Walker opted for the USFLโ€™s New Jersey Generals, which would turn out to foreshadow the most consistent and important business and political relationship of his life.

Start of a lifelong friendship

Image: AP AMES COLBURN 07351111Globe Photos/MediaPunch /IPX

That friend was Donald Trump. At the time, Trump was already the bombastic talker we know today, but he had nowhere near the national profile. In New York, he was known as a brash real estate developer who overtalked his own deals. After the 1983 season, though, Trump bought the Generals and Walker ended up as a lot than his employee.

NFL Glory

Image: AP ASSOCIATED PRESS DEC. 27, 1987 FILE PHOTO

By 1985, the USFL was defunct and Walker needed a new home. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys but didnโ€™t start playing until 1986. After two years in the backfield with a fellow Heisman winner, Tony Dorsett, the Cowboys traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings in what became one of the most famous personnel moves in NFL history. Walker went on to play 11 more seasons in the NFL, with the Vikings, Eagles, Giants and Cowboys again, but his fortunes in the NFL never reached the heights of players like Emmett Smith and Darren Woodson, that the Cowboys would ultimately receive as a result of the trade. Walker also never got a Super Bowl ring.

Retirement from football

Photo: Getty Images Esther Lin / Contributor

After walking away from football, Walker kept a relatively low profile, living between Georgia and Texas, marrying and divorcing, becoming a public speaker but never losing his zeal to compete as an athlete. That led to a brief stint in the early 2000s as an MMA fighter. It was also during these quiet years that some darker chapters took place, including allegations of domestic violence and struggles with his mental health.

Remember this guy?

Image: AP ASSOCIATED PRESS MARCH 8, 1984, FILE PHOTO

Itโ€™s not clear at what point Walker developed an interest in politics, but he had remained a close friend of Trump over the years. While other Black folks bristled at the open racism of Trumpโ€™s campaign for president, Walker publicly supported his friend, and Trump would return the favor in the years to come.

Washington bound?

Image: AP MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; WXIA OUT; WGCL OUT

As Trumpโ€™s star rose, Walker appeared more visible in the political world back in his native Georgia. To conservatives in the state, he was an antidote to ascendant Black political voices like former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and current Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. In 2021, he announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by the Rev. Raphael Warnock, who pastors Atlantaโ€™s famed Ebenezer Baptist Church. In a crowded GOP primary for the seat in May, Walker easily beat his competitors with Trumpโ€™s support.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

Steve Harvey's Gorgeous $15 Million Once Owned by Tyler Perry

Steve Harvey’s Gorgeous $15 Million Once Owned by Tyler Perry

With a 70,000 gallon infinity pool to a home theater and wine cellar, Steve Harvey's mansion is one of the most expensive properties in Atlanta, Ga ...
The Best, Black TV Shows, Movies to Stream on AppleTV+

The Best, Black TV Shows, Movies to Stream on AppleTV+

From Brian Tyree Henry getting down and dirty to David Oyelowo searching for a fresh start: we've got what you need to watch! ...

New AI TikTok Trend Has Gorillas Posing as Black Women, and Folks are <i>Pissed</i>

New AI TikTok Trend Has Gorillas Posing as Black Women, and Folks are Pissed

Yes, it's exactly what you think it is. And yes, you should be offended ...
Rumi Carter's Funniest Moment Even Made Beyoncรฉ Stop Singing and Giggle

Rumi Carter’s Funniest Moment Even Made Beyoncรฉ Stop Singing and Giggle

Rumi's latest moment on the Cowboy Carter World Tour was her most adorable yet ...
Why Diddy, Young Thug Attorney Brian Steel Is The White Johnnie Cochran

Why Diddy, Young Thug Attorney Brian Steel Is The White Johnnie Cochran

If you are rich, Black and get caught up, there is only one number you should call ...
'Sinners' Releases in Black American Sign Language. Here's What That Means

‘Sinners’ Releases in Black American Sign Language. Here’s What That Means

The deaf community was plagued by racial segregation, so Black Americans decided to create their own rendition of the language to serve their communities ...
A Burger King Employee Throws a Drink on a Child in Viral Video, and Black TikTok Goes Nuts

A Burger King Employee Throws a Drink on a Child in Viral Video, and Black TikTok Goes Nuts

The video of the volatile incident is making rounds on the internet and has everyone talking ...
Why NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Tried To Play The Black Card...Literally

Why NYC Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani Tried To Play The Black Card…Literally

Mamdani appears to have an interesting past when it comes to how he identifies racially, but what's it really all about? ...
If Poor Black, White People Unite, They'd Be An Unstoppable Force, But Here's Why The Powers That Be Won't Let Them

If Poor Black, White People Unite, They’d Be An Unstoppable Force, But Here’s Why The Powers That Be Won’t Let Them

We need to understand that America's current racial political divisions did not happen naturally. People in power did not want Black and white people to work together ...
What Diddy Will Eating and Doing In Prison This Fourth Of July

What Diddy Will Eating and Doing In Prison This Fourth Of July

Wondering what Diddy will be eating and Doing this holiday? Here's all the tea ...
A White Male TikToker Decided To Use Black Hair Relaxer... The Results Will Surprise You

A White Male TikToker Decided To Use Black Hair Relaxer… The Results Will Surprise You

A white TikTok Creator decided to use relaxer on his hair and... it worked? ...
Diddy's Best Friend Charlie Liucci is Being <i>Loud</i> About His Next Moves Will Be Following Acquittal

Diddy’s Best Friend Charlie Liucci is Being Loud About His Next Moves Will Be Following Acquittal

He's been spotted wearing "FREE PUFF" merch, now, Charlie Liucci has an inside scoop on what Diddy will do once released ...
How Baltimore Beat 'The Wire' Homicide Curse Under This Black Mayor

How Baltimore Beat ‘The Wire’ Homicide Curse Under This Black Mayor

Violent crime has plagued Baltimore for generations, and "The Wire's" depiction of drug and gang life surely hasn't helped... but there's hope ...
Best Self-Help Reads for Black Resilience in Uncertain Times

Best Self-Help Reads for Black Resilience in Uncertain Times

In these challenging times, these books can give you the hope you need ...
'Hey Google' and Other Voice Assistants Are Terrifying Children and Confusing Bemused Parents

‘Hey Google’ and Other Voice Assistants Are Terrifying Children and Confusing Bemused Parents

Social media is buzzing about the strange reaction kids are having to smart speakers in their homes ...
Internet Believes Eerie Photo Predicted Black Fort Worth Family's Tragedy

Internet Believes Eerie Photo Predicted Black Fort Worth Family’s Tragedy

A big rig driver admitted he fell asleep at the wheel in Kaufman County before he collided with stopped traffic ...
Why Philadelphia is Going Viral For Streets That Look Like a Landfill

Why Philadelphia is Going Viral For Streets That Look Like a Landfill

Libraries are closed, the medical examiner's office has a backlog of bodies, and trash is piling up everywhere ...
How Bakari Sellers Just Got the Ultimate Revenge on His MAGA CNN Colleague

How Bakari Sellers Just Got the Ultimate Revenge on His MAGA CNN Colleague

Sellers and Jennings often go back and forth on the CNN show, and this was only amplified when Jennings asked Sellers not to touch him during one viral interaction from December ...
The Scary Reason 'American Idol' Winner Jamal Roberts Declined a Key to This Southern Town

The Scary Reason ‘American Idol’ Winner Jamal Roberts Declined a Key to This Southern Town

While Roberts' reasoning is understandable, it's a shame he had to make the decision in the first place ...
A Black Mom Posted Video of a Terrifying Exchange She had with Police in Delaware

A Black Mom Posted Video of a Terrifying Exchange She had with Police in Delaware

Black Mom Says Cops Approached Her and Her Children With Guns Drawn ...