Herschel Walker

Herschel Walker
Walker in 2018
United States Ambassador to the Bahamas
Nominee
Assuming office
TBD
PresidentDonald Trump
SucceedingKimberly Furnish (Chargé d'Affaires)
Co-chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
In office
2018–2022
PresidentDonald Trump
Joe Biden
Preceded byDominique Dawes
Drew Brees
Succeeded byElena Delle Donne
José Andrés
Personal details
Born
Herschel Junior Walker

(1962-03-03) March 3, 1962
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Cindy DeAngelis Grossman
(m. 1983; div. 2002)

Julie Blanchard
(m. 2021)
Children4, including Christian
Alma materUniversity of Georgia (BS)
Occupation
  • Athlete
  • businessman
  • politician
AwardsFull list

American football career
No. 34
Position:Running back
Personal information
Height:6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:Johnson County
(Wrightsville, Georgia)
College:Georgia (1980–1982)
NFL draft:1985: 5th round, 114th pick
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:1,954
Rushing yards:8,225
Rushing touchdowns:61
Receptions:512
Receiving yards:4,859
Receiving touchdowns:21
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Martial arts career
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
DivisionHeavyweight
Reach76 in (193 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Fighting out ofSan Jose, California, U.S.
TeamAmerican Kickboxing Academy
TrainerBob Cook
Rank5th degree black belt in Taekwondo
Mixed martial arts record
Total2
Wins2
By knockout2
Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election in Georgia and is the nominee for United States Ambassador to the Bahamas under President Donald Trump.

Walker played college football at the University of Georgia, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a junior. He spent the first three seasons of his professional career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) and was the league's MVP during its final season in 1985. After the USFL folded, Walker joined the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, earning consecutive Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors from 1987 to 1988. In 1989, Walker was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, which is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history and credited with establishing the Cowboys' dynasty of the 1990s. He was later a member of the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants before retiring with the Cowboys. Walker was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

Outside of football, Walker was a member of the United States' bobsleigh team at the 1992 Winter Olympics and pursued business ventures in food processing. From 2019 to 2020, he served as a co-chair on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition under Trump. Walker launched his first political campaign in Georgia's 2022 Senate election, losing to Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock. In 2024, he was nominated by Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Bahamas.