Herschel Walker

Georgia running back who won the 1982 Heisman Trophy after becoming the first true freshman ever named a consensus All-American, later rated by the College Football Hall of Fame as the second greatest player in the sport's history.

Herschel Junior Walker was born on 3 March 1962 in Wrightsville, Georgia, and arrived at Georgia in 1980 as the most heavily recruited high school player in the nation. As a true freshman, he set an NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,616 yards and led Georgia to an undefeated season and a Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame for the national championship, becoming the first true freshman ever named a consensus All-American. Walker was unique in Heisman history, finishing in the top three of the voting all three of his seasons at Georgia - third as a freshman, third again as a sophomore, and finally winning the award outright as a junior in 1982. Only Glenn Davis and Doak Walker share that distinction of three consecutive top-three finishes. Over his three seasons, Walker rushed for 5,259 yards, an NCAA record for a three-year career, while winning SEC Player of the Year all three years and leading Georgia to a 33-3 overall record and three consecutive SEC titles. After his junior season, Walker left Georgia early to sign with the upstart USFL's New Jersey Generals, becoming the league's biggest star and winning its 1985 MVP award while setting professional football's single-season rushing record. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and was later rated by the Hall as the second-greatest player in college football history, behind only Red Grange. Walker went on to a 12-year NFL career with the Cowboys, Vikings, Eagles, and Giants, was involved in one of the most lopsided trades in league history, and later competed in bobsled at the 1992 Winter Olympics, mixed martial arts, and served as United States ambassador to the Bahamas from 2025. He has also become a national mental health advocate, publicly discussing his diagnosis with dissociative identity disorder.

Powerful, exceptionally fast running back who combined breakaway speed with the strength to break tackles, a rare combination that overwhelmed SEC defenses

Regarded as one of the two or three greatest players in college football history, whose freshman-year dominance and three-year rushing record remain benchmarks for the sport, alongside a wide-ranging post-football career in multiple sports and public life

• 1982 Heisman Trophy
• 1980 National Champion with Georgia
• 3x Consensus All-American (1980-1982)
• 3x SEC Player of the Year