Javon Walker

Infobox NFLactive
name=Javon Walker


width=
caption=
currentteam=Oakland Raiders
currentnumber=84
currentpositionplain=Wide receiver
birthdate=birth date and age|1978|10|14
birthplace=Galveston, Texas
heightft=6
heightin=3
weight=215
debutyear=2002
debutteam=Green Bay Packers
college=Florida State
draftyear=2002
draftround=1
draftpick=20
pastteams=
* Green Bay Packers (2002-2005)
* Denver Broncos (2006-2007)
* Oakland Raiders (2008-present)
status=Active
highlights=
* Second-team All-ACC (2001)
* Gator Bowl MVP (2002)
* Pro Bowl selection (2004)
statweek=3
statseason=2008
statlabel1=Receptions
statvalue1=254
statlabel2=Receiving Yards
statvalue2=3,833
statlabel3=Receiving TDs
statvalue3=30
nfl=WAL209632

Javon Lataff Walker (born October 14, 1978 in Galveston, Texas) is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Green Bay Packers 20th overall of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.

Walker was selected to the Pro Bowl with the Packers in 2004. He has also played for the Denver Broncos in his career.

Early years

Javon attended St. Thomas More High School in Lafayette, Louisiana. Walker holds the record from his high school for most career touchdowns, most touchdowns in a game, and longest play from scrimmage. Walker was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the eighth round of the 1997 Major League Baseball draft, and spent three years in the minor leagues of the organization.

College career

Walker attended Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, where he was a teammate with Deion Branch, before enrolling at Florida State University.

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

After being drafted by the Green Bay Packers, Walker became the fourth player in the history of the NFL to have 100 receiving yards in each of his first two playoff games (2002 vs. Atlanta, 2003 vs. Seattle). He was selected to the NFC's Pro Bowl team for the first time for the 2004 season, following a breakout year.

After the 2004 season, Walker, backed by new agent Kennard McGuire, stated that he would not play for the Green Bay Packers again and would retire if he was not traded. Walker had been at odds with the organization since management refused to renegotiate his contract that had two years remaining on it after his Pro Bowl season in 2004, when he caught 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. "I just don't like the way the organization runs itself", Walker told ESPN.com. "They want players to come up there and play hard and work hard, but when it comes time to be compensated, it's like, 'We forgot what you've done.'" Walker also said quarterback Brett Favre's comments on his plans to hold out for a better contract last year made living in Wisconsin difficult, and he felt it was unfair that the team let Favre interfere with Walker's squabble with management. "There's an unwritten rule that players stick together," Walker said. Walker said he would not show up for training camp or come back at all for the final season of his contract regardless of whether Favre decided to retire or return. He said he'll repay the Packers the prorated portion of his signing bonus to leave Green Bay. "Why should I risk another year of getting beat up playing for a team that I don't want to play for? That's stupid", Walker said. Walker said he'll be ready for the 2006 season wherever he lands. "If I'm going to go out and take hits, it's going to be for a team that I love playing for", Walker said. "I'm not going to grandstand. I just want the Packers to give me peace of mind."

Ted Thompson released the following statement regarding the interview:

"During his time as a Green Bay Packer, Javon Walker has been well thought of by everyone here. I like Javon, certainly as a person and as a player. That said, Javon is under contract, which he signed as a 2002 first-round draft choice. That contract is governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, which was negotiated between the National Football League and the National Football League Players’ Association, and we expect him to honor it. There have been several highly publicized cases of player discontent in the National Football League. I don’t anticipate us making any concessions in this matter. We will continue to stay the course, and the Green Bay Packers will have no further comment on this topic."

Walker eventually backed off of his threats to hold out and reported to camp. In the first game of the 2005 season, Walker injured his ACL on a pass from Favre. The Packers placed Walker on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

Denver Broncos

The Packers traded Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft on April 29, 2006. He signed a five-year deal worth more than $40 million, including roster bonuses totaling $15 million in 2007 and 2008. Walker recovered from his previous injury, and was productive during the 2006 season. He caught sixty-nine passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns. Following the Broncos' season finale against the San Francisco 49ers, Walker was in a vehicle that was shot at in downtown Denver, killing teammate Darrent Williams. After Williams was shot, he fell into Walker's lap. In memory of Williams, Walker wore a hair style called the "fro-hawk", made famous by Williams, to begin the 2007 season. [ [http://cbs11tv.com/sports/local_story_001120853.html Drive-By Shooting Kills NFL Cornerback In Denver - report by CBS11 TV, Dallas/Fort Worth] ] Walker said in an interview with Andrea Kremer of HBO's "Real Sports" that the attacks likely stemmed from a confrontation from bar patrons with rookie wideout Brandon Marshall and his cousin.

On February 29, 2008, the Broncos released Walker after being unable to trade him. [Citation |last= |first= |title=Broncos release oft-injured receiver Walker |url=http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7857650/Broncos-release-oft-injured-receiver-Walker |publisher="FOX Sports" |date=2008-02-29 |accessdate=2008-03-01]

Oakland Raiders

On March 4, 2008, the Oakland Raiders signed Walker to a six-year, $55 million contract that included $16 million in guaranteed money. [ [http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80709c14&template=without-video&confirm=true Raiders give receiver Walker six-year, $55 million deal ] ]

Robbery incident

Just after 7 A.M. on June 16, 2008, Walker was found unconscious in Las Vegas, Nevada, on a street just off the Las Vegas Strip. The previous evening, he had been at Body English, a nightclub at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, and he left at around 3:30 A.M. the next day. After being found unconscious, Walker was taken to a local hospital with what police described as "significant injuries," including a concussion and a battered face. He was listed in fair condition and released from the hospital on June 18. [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/18/SP1E11BCJE.DTL] Police said Walker was the victim of an apparent robbery, as a large amount of cash and some jewelry were taken from him. [ [http://www.lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=8501086 Las Vegas Now | Oakland's Javon Walker Hospitalized in Las Vegas ] ] Police arrested two suspects, one in late June [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3459040] and the other in early July. [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3478020]

References

External links

* [http://www.javonwalker84.com Official Website]
* [http://www.denverbroncos.com/page.php?id=498&contentID=5877 Denver Broncos bio]
* [http://www.packers.com/history/all_time_roster/player/walker_javon_2002-05/ Green Bay Packers bio]
* [http://www.raiders.com/Team/PlayerBio.aspx?id=38964 Oakland Raiders bio]