He was a Trojan before he was a Bulldog

Editor’s note: The following story is part of a feature called Home Grown in which we take a look at the people and products that have made a name for themselves well beyond our Middle Georgia borders.

The greatest football player in University of Georgia history got his start at Johnson County, where he rushed for 3,167 yards and 45 touchdowns as a senior in 1979. Playing for head coach Gary Phillips, Walker led the Trojans to the Class 1A championship that year.

Walker went on to explosive success at the college level, starting with his first game in the 1980 season opener against Tennessee in which he ran over the Vols’ Bill Bates en route to a 16-yard touchdown, inspiring Georgia radio announcer Larry Munson to respond, “My God, a freshman.”

He ran for 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns in three years at Georgia, helping lead the Bulldogs to the 1980 national championship and winning the 1982 Heisman Trophy.

He turned pro after his junior year, playing three seasons with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals and 12 more in the NFL with Dallas, Minnesota, Philadelphia and the New York Giants. He retired after the 1997 season.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 1:16 PM with the headline "He was a Trojan before he was a Bulldog."