July 11, 2019
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former DL Gary Walker has been named No. 22 on the Jaguars All-25, the club announced today. Jaguars All-25 is a collection of the top 25 non-active players in franchise history, as voted on by members of the local media. The Jaguars’ silver celebration kicked off in mid-March with the start of the new league year and the unveiling of the team’s 25th season commemorative logo designed to embody the spirit of DUUUVAL.
Walker, 6-3, 324, was originally selected in the fifth round (159th overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers and signed with the Jaguars prior to the 1999 season. During his three seasons with the Jaguars from 1999-2001, Walker started 46 of 47 games and totaled 40 tackles for loss and 22.5 sacks. In his first season in Jacksonville, Walker posted 10.0 sacks, and joined Kevin Hardy and Tony Brackens as the first players in franchise history to post double-digit sacks in a single season. In that season, the Jaguars registered 55 team sacks, the most in a season in franchise history. During the 2001 season, Walker posted four consecutive games with a sack, and is one of just five players in franchise history to achieve the feat. Walker was named to the Pro Bowl following the 2001 season after posting 7.5 sacks and starting all 16 games.
“He was truly a tough guy, and took nothing from anybody, whether it was the opponents, his teammates or the media; it didn’t matter,” said Sam Kouvaris, WJXT’s sports director from 1981-2018 and a member of the All-25 voting panel. “Gary Walker is one of those guys that gives you instant legitimacy as a franchise. When you have the ability to attract a free agent like Gary Walker, he knows about your team, his agent knows, and your fans are all of a sudden like, ‘Wait a minute, Gary Walker’s going to come play for us?’ When the play would come his way, if he just decided that they weren’t going anywhere, he would just stop it instantly.”
Walker, who played collegiately at Auburn, currently resides in Franklin County in northern Ga. The two-time Pro Bowler spends time during retirement hanging with his family on his ranches in Texas, Ala. and Ga.
For more information on Jaguars All-25, including stories, interviews and statistics, please visit https://www.jaguars.com/all25. To access photos of Walker, please follow this link.
JAGUARS ALL-25:
22. DT Gary Walker (1999-2001)
23. QB David Garrard (2002-10)
24. DE Joel Smeenge (1995-2000)
25. G Chris Naeole (2002-07)
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