Delanie Walker
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Hubert Delanie Walker (born August 12, 1984) is a former
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 with ...
tight end The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like ...
. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at the
Central Missouri State The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2019, enrollment was 11,229 students from 49 states and 59 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, including 10 pre-profes ...
and was drafted by 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 the sixth round of the
2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. After seven seasons with the 49ers, Walker then played another seven seasons for the Tennessee Titans, with whom he had the most success and was a three-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection. Walker was released from the Titans after the 2019 season after missing 25 regular-season games over the last two seasons due to an ankle injury.


Early life

Walker attended and played
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
at Pomona High School. He was a first-team All-Region selection by ''The Times'', adding All-Division and All-San Gabriel Valley honors as a senior under the direction of head coach John Capraro. He was twice chosen Miramonte League Offensive Player of the Year and was selected 2001 Pomona Red Devil of the Year. He played in the East/West All Star game and also excelled in
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, winning the Division III 100-meters title after also finishing first in the 2002 Miramonte League Meet. After high school, Walker originally committed to
UTEP The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stude ...
, but decided to attend
Mt. San Antonio College Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) is a public community college in southern California, located in Walnut in eastern Los Angeles County. It offers more than 260 degree and certificate programs, 25 support programs, and more than 50 studen ...
in Walnut, California to improve his academics.


College career

Walker first enrolled at
Mt. San Antonio College Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) is a public community college in southern California, located in Walnut in eastern Los Angeles County. It offers more than 260 degree and certificate programs, 25 support programs, and more than 50 studen ...
. In 2003, he was ranked seventh on JCFootball.com's "Top 101 Players" list. Walker finished his junior college career with 86 catches for 1,312 yards and 13 touchdowns. He then transferred to the
University of Central Missouri The University of Central Missouri (UCM) is a public university in Warrensburg, Missouri. In 2019, enrollment was 11,229 students from 49 states and 59 countries on its 1,561-acre campus. UCM offers 150 programs of study, including 10 pre-profes ...
. While at Central Missouri, he set or equaled several receiving records. In two seasons at Central Missouri, Walker caught 113 passes for 1,347 yards and 10 touchdowns. In addition, he also had 35 career kickoff returns for 965 yards and three touchdowns. His three kickoff returns for touchdowns are tied for the Central Missouri school record. In college, Walker majored in video production, with a minor in criminal justice at Central Missouri. On February 14, 2015, Walker was inducted into the Central Missouri Athletic Hall of Fame.


Professional career


San Francisco 49ers


2006 season: Rookie year

Walker was drafted by
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 the sixth round with the 175th overall pick in the
2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with ad ...
. In his rookie season, he recorded two receptions for 30 yards and had a 25-yard kickoff return.


2007 season

In Week 13, Walker caught his first NFL touchdown from
Trent Dilfer Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a former American football quarterback and analyst who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known as the starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens during their Su ...
in a 31-14 loss to 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. T ...
,. In the 2007 season, he recorded 21 receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown.


2008 season

On June 22, 2008, the 49ers signed Walker to a three-year, $6 million extension through 2012. The deal included a $1.8 million signing bonus. He also returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown in Week 4 of the 2008 preseason. In 2008, Walker recorded 10 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown.


2009 season

In 2009, Walker recorded 21 receptions for 233 yards as the 49ers finished with an 8–8 record.


2010 season

In 2010, Walker recorded 29 receptions for 331 yards as the 49ers finished with a 6–10 record.


2011 season

In 2011,
Jim Harbaugh James Joseph Harbaugh (; born December 23, 1963) is an American football coach and former quarterback, who is the current and 20th head football coach of the Michigan Wolverines. He played college football at Michigan from 1983 to 1986. He play ...
became head coach of the 49ers and
Greg Roman Gregory P. Roman (born August 19, 1972) is an American football coach. He previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL) He held the position for four seasons and resigned from the ...
became the offensive coordinator for the team. They praised Walker's skill set and used him a number of different ways in the West Coast Offense, including different receiver spots, backup fullback, and even as an alternative kickoff returner and gunner on special teams, attributes that earned him the nickname of "The Swiss Army Knife" within the team. In the 2011 season, Walker recorded 19 receptions for 198 yards and three touchdowns as the 49ers finished with a 13–3 record. In the postseason, Walker caught two passes for 36 yards before the 49ers lost to the eventual
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
champions, the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in the NFC Championship.


2012 season

In 2012, Walker recorded 21 receptions for 344 yards and three touchdowns as the 49ers finished with an 11–4–1 record. At the end of the 2012 season, Walker and 49ers reached Super Bowl XLVII. In the game, he had three receptions for 48 yards, but the 49ers lost to the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
by a score of 34–31.


Tennessee Titans


2013 season

Walker signed with the Tennessee Titans on March 12, 2013 to a four-year $17.5 million contract with $8.6 million guaranteed. In Week 11 of the 2013 season, against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, he recorded 10 receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. In the 2013 season, Walker had 60 receptions for 571 yards and six touchdowns.


2014 season

In Week 2 of the 2014 season, against the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, Walker had a career day with ten receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown. In Week 12, against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, he recorded five receptions for a career-high 155 yards. In the 2014 season, Walker had 63 receptions for 890 yards and four touchdowns.


2015 season

Walker had a career year in 2015, shattering all Titans records for a tight end, including 1,088 yards receiving. He had previously broken the Titans' tight end receiving yards record in the 2014 season with 890 yards. Walker led all NFL tight ends with 94 receptions and became only the ninth tight end to ever record 90+ catches in a single season. He was later named to his first career
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
. In Week 9, against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, he recorded his first career multi-touchdown game with seven receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 11, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he recorded 109 receiving yards for his third career game with at least 100 yards. In Week 15, toward the end of a lopsided loss to the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, Walker had a touchdown that would come off of a highlight-reel play. He caught a pass from quarterback Zach Mettenberger, broke two tackles, hurdled a man and stiff-armed another, all while racing down the sideline to the end zone to complete a 57-yard score. Walker recorded two catches, 64 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns in the 33–16 defeat. Walker was ranked 82nd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 was the sixth season in the series. It aired on May 4, 2016. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton being ranked #1. The Kansas City Chiefs had the most players selected with nine, while the Chicago Bears Th ...
.


2016 season

On May 6, 2016, Walker signed a two-year contract extension worth $14.7 million with $8.2 million in guarantees. During Week 10 against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, Walker had nine receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. In the 2016 season, Walker recorded 65 receptions for 800 yards and seven touchdowns. Walker was named to his second consecutive Pro Bowl on December 20, 2016. He was ranked 75th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 was the seventh season in the series. It ended with reigning Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1. This made Brady the first player to be voted #1 more than once. It was also just the second time the #1 ranked ...
.


2017 season

On September 17, 2017, Walker recorded his first rushing touchdown, a one-yard rush in the third quarter of a 37–16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. In addition, he had four receptions for 61 yards. In the 2017 season, Walker recorded 74 receptions for 807 yards, three receiving touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. The Titans finished with a 9-7 record and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team. During the
Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that fails to qualify in the normal way; for example, by having a high ranking or winnin ...
against the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
, Walker was the leading receiver, catching six passes for 74 yards. In the Divisional Round against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, he caught three passes for 49 yards including a 36 yard catch and run during the first quarter in the 35–14 loss. On January 16, 2018, Walker was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl to replace an injured Travis Kelce. Walker was named the
2018 Pro Bowl The 2018 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2017 season, which was played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida on January 28, 2018. For the first time since 2009, the game started during afternoon hours ins ...
offensive MVP after catching the game-winning touchdown, in addition to another touchdown he caught earlier in the game. He was also ranked 72nd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2018 was the eighth season in the series. It ended with reigning National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, NFL MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1, making him the only player to be voted #1 three times, already bein ...
.


2018 season

On July 27, 2018, Walker signed a two-year contract extension with the Titans worth $17 million with $12.6 million in guarantees. In the season-opener against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, Walker had four catches for 52 yards before leaving the 27-20 road loss with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter. It was later revealed that he suffered a dislocated ankle and an associated fracture and would miss the rest of the season. Walker was placed on injured reserve on September 10, 2018. Without Walker, the Titans finished 9–7 for the third consecutive year and missed out on the playoffs.


2019 season

Walker returned from his injury in time for the season-opener against the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
. In that game, he recorded five receptions for 55 yards and two touchdowns in the 43-13 road victory. During a Week 4 24-10 road victory over the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Walker reached 500 career receptions. On November 27, 2019, he was placed on injured reserve after dealing with an ankle injury for most of the season. Without Walker, the Titans finished 9–7 for the fourth consecutive year and lost to the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
in the
AFC Championship The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
. On March 13, 2020, Walker was released by the Titans after seven seasons. On December 9, 2020, Walker was on the Pat McAfee show and stated that he was staying in shape and could probably play this year but with all the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
issues and with Dez Bryant being removed from warm-ups after testing positive and no one else was exposed despite photos of him with other players, he did not want to play in
2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
. On June 1, 2021, 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 ...
hosted Walker for a workout. On October 18, 2022, Walker announced his retirement, signing a one-day deal with the Titans to retire as a member of the franchise.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


NFL records


Titans franchise records

* Most receiving touchdowns by a tight end: 28 * Most receptions in a season by a tight end: 94 * Most receiving yards in a season by a tight end: 1,088


Personal life

In 2013, Walker's aunt and uncle were killed by a drunk driver five hours after Walker played in Super Bowl XLVII. The tragedy motivated him to speak out against drunk driving, and support laws requiring the installation of an ignition interlock device for first-time DUI offenders. Walker has three children. Walker is a car and powerboat enthusiast.


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Delanie 1984 births Living people Sportspeople from Pomona, California Players of American football from California African-American players of American football American football wide receivers American football tight ends Mt. SAC Mounties football players Central Missouri Mules football players San Francisco 49ers players Tennessee Titans players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players American Conference Pro Bowl players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people