Phillip "P. J." Walker (born February 26, 1995) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
quarterback
The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football at
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
, and was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Indianapolis Colts in 2017. He also played for the
Houston Roughnecks
The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and plays its home games at TDECU Stadium.
History
...
of the
XFL in 2020, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns before it suspended operations due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
.
Early years
Walker was born in 1995 in
Elizabeth, New Jersey, to parents Tamicha Drake and Phillip Walker Sr. Walker attended
Elizabeth High School. During his junior year, Walker threw for 2,168 yards and 18
touchdowns
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron 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. In Amer ...
, while going 120-of-189 (63.5 percent) in passing percentage. Following the completion of his high school career, Walker chose to attend Temple University, under head coach
Matt Rhule
Matthew Kenneth Rhule (born January 31, 1975) is an American football coach and former player, who is the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was previously the head coach at Temple University, Baylor University, and for the Carolina Pant ...
.
College career
After accepting an athletic scholarship to attend
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then calle ...
, Walker played for coach
Matt Rhule
Matthew Kenneth Rhule (born January 31, 1975) is an American football coach and former player, who is the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was previously the head coach at Temple University, Baylor University, and for the Carolina Pant ...
's
Temple Owls
The Temple Owls are the athletic teams that represent Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The current athletic director is Arthur Johnson.
The owl has been the symbol and mascot for Temple University since its founding in the 1 ...
team from 2013 to 2016.
2013 season
Walker began his collegiate career as a backup to Connor Reilly. Walker would eventually earn the starting spot at quarterback in week 6 against
Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, where he would throw his first collegiate touchdown. Walker obtained his first win of his career in week 7 against
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, by a score of 33–14. He would receive his first collegiate weekly award (QB of the week – CFPA – honorable mention) following a 59–49 loss to
SMU in week 9. In the final week of the season, Walker earned
American Athletic Conference
The American Athletic Conference (The American or AAC) is an American collegiate athletic conference, featuring 11 member universities and five affiliate member universities that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) ...
Offensive Player of the Week and was a finalist for the
Manning Award
The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...
. Walker would finish his freshman year having started 7 out of 12 games.
2014 season
Walker's sophomore season did not include as many highlights as his 2013 debut performance; however, Walker did earn career-high completions (29) and pass attempts (49) in a losing effort against
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...
in Week 2. Walker was able to secure three honorable mentions during the season (Weeks 1, 2 and 4) and passed for at least 1 touchdown in his first seven games.
2015 season
Walker would start every game in his junior year, becoming only the third person to do so in Owl history. In a rare feat, Walker would both throw for and receive a pass in two
two-point conversion
In gridiron football, a two-point conversion or two-point convert is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point conversion immediately after it scores a touchdown. In a two-point conversion attempt, the team that just scored must run ...
attempts in Week 8 in a winning effort against
UCF. Walker would lead the Owls to a 10–4 overall record (7–1 in conference play), earning a bid to the
Boca Raton Bowl
The Boca Raton Bowl is an annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sanctioned post-season Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) college football bowl game played in Boca Raton, Florida, since December 2014 on the campus of Fl ...
in losing effort against the
Toledo Rockets
The Toledo Rockets are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Toledo. The Rockets compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The ...
by a score of 17–32. He finished the season with a school record 2,972 passing yards and tied the record for total offense (rushing and passing) with 3,179 yards.
2016 season
file:PJWalker.jpg, 225px, Walker (#8) with
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
in 2016.
Walker's final year at Temple was a record-setting season for the senior. In the season opener against 2016 Army Black Knights football team, Army, Walker became Temple's all-time passing yards leader (10,273 yards). Walker would again lead the Owls to a bowl game at the end of the season, following a 10–4 overall record (8–0 in conference); Walker and the Owls would lose the
Military Bowl
The Military Bowl is a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that has been played annually each December in the Washington metropolitan area since 2008. The game was originally held a ...
26–34 against
Wake Forest. Additionally, Walker would receive numerous honors, accolades and watch-list nominations in the 2016 season, including American Athletic Conference Championship Game Most Outstanding Player, CFPA National Player of the Year Watch List,
Davey O'Brien Award Watch List, as well as multiple preseason and conference recognitions.
Records
Walker is the Owls all-time leader in wins by a starting quarterback (28), passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, total yards and total touchdowns. Walker led the Owls to their first conference title in 49 years (
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
) and their first ever back-to-back bowl appearances in school history (
2015 and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...
).
College statistics
Professional career
Indianapolis Colts
On May 3, 2017, Walker was signed by the
Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent. He was waived on September 2, 2017 and was signed to the Colts' practice squad the next day. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Colts on January 1, 2018. On September 1, 2018, Walker was waived by the Colts and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He spent time on and off the Colts practice squad before being released on December 26, 2018, but was re-signed three days later. He signed a reserve/future contract on January 13, 2019. On August 31, 2019, Walker was waived and signed to the practice squad the next day, only to be released two days later.
Houston Roughnecks
In October 2019, Walker was
drafted by the newly formed
XFL
XFL may refer to:
Sports
* XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001
* XFL (2020), a professional American football league
Vehicles
* Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...
for the
2020 season. The
Pittsburgh Steelers called the XFL office to ask if they could sign Walker in October 2019, but was blocked as he was already under contract with the league. He was then allocated to the
Houston Roughnecks
The Houston Roughnecks are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL founded by Vince McMahon's Alpha Entertainment and plays its home games at TDECU Stadium.
History
...
prior to the
2020 XFL Draft
The 2020 XFL Draft was the inaugural player selection process to fill the rosters of the eight teams of the 2020 reboot of the XFL. The draft was held on October 15–16, 2019, via conference call, with results released through the XFL's social ...
.
In the Roughnecks first game against the
Los Angeles Wildcats Los Angeles Wildcats is a name shared by several American football teams from Los Angeles:
*Los Angeles Wildcats (AFL)
The Los Angeles Wildcats (also reported in various media as Pacific Coast Wildcats, Los Angeles Wilson Wildcats and Wilson's ...
, Walker tossed four touchdowns, helping the team win a 37–17 victory. He was named the league's first ever Star of the Week for his performance.
Walker's final game of the 2020 campaign was marked by some controversy after, while his team was leading the
Seattle Dragons
The Seattle Sea Dragons (formerly known as the Seattle Dragons) are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The team is a franchise of the new XFL (2020), XFL and plays its home games at Lumen Field in Seattle. Origin ...
32–23, he mistakenly
kneeled on fourth down at his own 21-yard-line with three seconds remaining on the clock – officials either failed to notice or refused to deal with Walker's palpable timing error and declared the game over, thus depriving Seattle the opportunity to score a touchdown and potential three-point conversion to tie the game. The league later admitted it was a mistake, but declared that the result would stand.
On March 20, 2020, the season was canceled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Walker finished the 2020 season with a 5–0 record, 1,338 passing yards and 15 touchdowns with four interceptions. He led the league in both passing touchdowns and passing yards. He was placed on the reserve/other league list after signing with the Panthers in March, which was later terminated after the league had fully suspended operations on April 10, 2020.
Carolina Panthers
![PJ Walker Panthers vs Falcons DEC2021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/PJ_Walker_Panthers_vs_Falcons_DEC2021.png)
On March 25, 2020, Walker signed a two-year contract with the
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...
worth up to 1.5 million dollars, reuniting him with former Temple head coach
Matt Rhule
Matthew Kenneth Rhule (born January 31, 1975) is an American football coach and former player, who is the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. He was previously the head coach at Temple University, Baylor University, and for the Carolina Pant ...
. On October 29, 2020, Walker came in for the Panthers during the third quarter against the
Atlanta Falcons after an injury to
Teddy Bridgewater
Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL).
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he graduated from Miami Northwestern high school ...
. When playing, Walker only threw one pass completion for three yards to
Robby Anderson
Robbie Anderson (born May 9, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Temple. Anderson was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent i ...
in his four pass attempts and was benched once Bridgewater was ready to play again. After Bridgewater injured his right knee in the fourth quarter of the Panthers' Week 10 game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, Walker finished the game, throwing for two completions and 12 yards. With Bridgewater remaining injured, Walker made his first NFL start the following week and threw for 258 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 20–0 win.
On January 10, 2022, Walker re-signed with the Panthers. Walker began to get playing time following
Baker Mayfield's injury in Week 5 against the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. In Week 7, Walker threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 21-3 win over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
.
Career statistics
XFL career statistics
NFL career statistics
References
External links
Carolina Panthers bioTemple Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, P. J.
1995 births
Living people
Elizabeth High School (New Jersey) alumni
Players of American football from New Jersey
Sportspeople from Elizabeth, New Jersey
American football quarterbacks
Temple Owls football players
Indianapolis Colts players
Houston Roughnecks players
Carolina Panthers players