Talk to us about (episode 15)

[DeusExMachina]

AN: lemme apologize for missing last week. Life got in the way, and I figured it was better to not do one than to half-*** one just to get one of these up. I'll make up for it, I promise.*)


I feel like I'm inadvertently doing a lot of offensive players over the course of this, and most of them have come after the middle 70's. This is, was, and never has been intended as a slight to anyone who watched games prior to that timeframe. That having been said, I had every intention of this week's post being about a RB, but swapped it out at the last moment (Johnnie Jones definitely deserves his own thread and will have one, I promise, but at another date).


There are five bronze statues outside Neyland Stadium. Of course, there's The General's, and even I've taken a selfie with the namesake of our beloved coliseum (someone on Twitter calls it General Neyland's Big D*mn House of Football and I absolutely love that); there's the statue of The Artful Dodger, and three others that played their own fantastic and legendary part in Tennessee football history. Rest assured, the other two will absolutely and without question have their own episode of this dedicated solely to them. This is the story of one of those gentlemen.


In 1968, the term "redshirt" didn't exist, and I'm almost positive that the strength and conditioning program was a microscopic version of what it is today. Freshmen in '68 didn't have the methods available to players today to pack on weight and muscle. One of the players in that '68 class could definitely have used the help. Linebackers back then (to the best of my knowledge, I might be wrong) were significantly bigger than the 6', 188 that the young man played at during his time in Orange and White.


However, that young linebacker didn't let size come into the equation, and definitely didn't let his lack of size stop him from bursting on the scene in his sophomore season of '69. He played in 10 games, snagged two interceptions, and returned one of them for a touchdown (a theme that was repeated over his career). '70 saw the junior linebacker become a force of nature. 132 tackles, two sacks, nine TFL, three fumbles caused, and a fumble recovery. But interceptions were his forte, as he picked off 5 passes, returning two of those for touchdowns. These stats propelled the young linebacker to the the first ever Black player from the SEC to be named an All-American, as well as an AP/UPI first team All-SEC selection.

'71 was more of the same for the young man. 126 tackles, and three each of sacks, fumbles caused, and fumble recoveries. Again, interceptions were his forte, as four passes found their way into his hands, and two of those passes found their way into the checkerboards. Again, the young LB was named a first-team All-American, and again he was named first-team All-SEC. However, there was another "first" that came prior to the season: he was named a team Captain for the Vols, becoming the first ever Black captain on any team in the SEC.


We unfortunately lost the gentleman in 2002, so he didn't live long enough to see his likeness cast in bronze outside Neyland Stadium where it will remain for all time, as a testament to his skill and all his "firsts". However, his exploits will live on for all time in the hearts and minds of those clad in Pantone 151.


Ladies and gentlemen, brethren and sisteren: talk to us about Jackie Walker.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

AN: lemme apologize for missing last week. Life got in the way, and I figured it was better to not do one than to half-*** one just to get one of these up. I'll make up for it, I promise.*)


I feel like I'm inadvertently doing a lot of offensive players over the course of this, and most of them have come after the middle 70's. This is, was, and never has been intended as a slight to anyone who watched games prior to that timeframe. That having been said, I had every intention of this week's post being about a RB, but swapped it out at the last moment (Johnnie Jones definitely deserves his own thread and will have one, I promise, but at another date).


There are five bronze statues outside Neyland Stadium. Of course, there's The General's, and even I've taken a selfie with the namesake of our beloved coliseum (someone on Twitter calls it General Neyland's Big D*mn House of Football and I absolutely love that); there's the statue of The Artful Dodger, and three others that played their own fantastic and legendary part in Tennessee football history. Rest assured, the other two will absolutely and without question have their own episode of this dedicated solely to them. This is the story of one of those gentlemen.


In 1968, the term "redshirt" didn't exist, and I'm almost positive that the strength and conditioning program was a microscopic version of what it is today. Freshmen in '68 didn't have the methods available to players today to pack on weight and muscle. One of the players in that '68 class could definitely have used the help. Linebackers back then (to the best of my knowledge, I might be wrong) were significantly bigger than the 6', 188 that the young man played at during his time in Orange and White.


However, that young linebacker didn't let size come into the equation, and definitely didn't let his lack of size stop him from bursting on the scene in his sophomore season of '69. He played in 10 games, snagged two interceptions, and returned one of them for a touchdown (a theme that was repeated over his career). '70 saw the junior linebacker become a force of nature. 132 tackles, two sacks, nine TFL, three fumbles caused, and a fumble recovery. But interceptions were his forte, as he picked off 5 passes, returning two of those for touchdowns. These stats propelled the young linebacker to the the first ever Black player from the SEC to be named an All-American, as well as an AP/UPI first team All-SEC selection.

'71 was more of the same for the young man. 126 tackles, and three each of sacks, fumbles caused, and fumble recoveries. Again, interceptions were his forte, as four passes found their way into his hands, and two of those passes found their way into the checkerboards. Again, the young LB was named a first-team All-American, and again he was named first-team All-SEC. However, there was another "first" that came prior to the season: he was named a team Captain for the Vols, becoming the first ever Black captain on any team in the SEC.


We unfortunately lost the gentleman in 2002, so he didn't live long enough to see his likeness cast in bronze outside Neyland Stadium where it will remain for all time, as a testament to his skill and all his "firsts". However, his exploits will live on for all time in the hearts and minds of those clad in Pantone 151.


Ladies and gentlemen, brethren and sisteren: talk to us about Jackie Walker.


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Andy Spiva also deserves his own page. I will try to remember to post one about him.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Andy Spiva also deserves his own page. I will try to remember to post one about him.

Andy Spiva will absolutely be the topic of one of these. I assure you of that. In fact, his will be before the end of the month, would that work??

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Andy Spiva will absolutely be the topic of one of these. I assure you of that. In fact, his will be before the end of the month, would that work??

Yes. I knew Andy and his mother Betty very well when I lived in the Atlanta area.

 

[OneManGang]

Let's not forget that Walker was STARTING as a sophomore in 1969 alongside Vol legends Jack Reynolds and Steve Kiner. After Kiner and Hacksaw graduated, their places were taken by two other characters who carved out niches in VolLore: Jamie Rotella and Ray Nettles.

Those three teams (1969-71) went 31-5, not too shabby by any measure.

He was drafted in 1972 by the 49ers who tried to convert him into a safety (?) but he struggled with the transition and was cut before the season.

Rumors were that his being cut had more to do with his being gay than any lack of ability on his part. But then, too, it was a different time and the number of black players on any given NFL team could usually be counted on one hand.

Walker was mostly forgotten by Vol fans until former team mates and coaches began to campaign to resurrect his memory. One of the most vocal of these was Tim Priest.