Tray Walker (August 5, 1992 – March 18, 2016) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Southern Tigers, and was drafted by the Ravens in the 4th round of the 2015 NFL draft, ultimately playing only one season with the team before his death.
 Walker with the Baltimore Ravens in 2015 | |||||
| No. 25 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | August 5, 1992 Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | March 18, 2016 (aged 23) Miami, Florida, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 199 lb (90 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Miami Northwestern (Miami, Florida) | ||||
| College: | Texas Southern (2011–2014) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 2015 / round: 4 / pick: 136 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Walker died on March 18, 2016, from injuries sustained from a dirt bike accident on Florida streets.[1]
Early life
editA native of Miami, Walker attended the city's Northwestern High School, where he played cornerback, punter and goalline receiver for the Bulls, earning honorable mention All-Dade County as a senior. Walker was teammates with Teddy Bridgewater and Amari Cooper. Unrecognized by recruiting analysts and football scouts, Walker's only scholarship offer came from Texas Southern University.[2]
College career
editIn his true freshman year at Texas Southern, Walker recorded 22 tackles (17 solo), three interceptions (59 return yards) and a career-best 11 deflected passes.
In his senior year, he earned Second-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (2014).
Professional career
editWalker was selected in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens making him the highest draft selection from Texas Southern since Joe Burch in 1994.[3] In his only professional season, Walker played in eight games, with his primary contributions going toward special teams for the Ravens, including two tackles.[4]
Death
editOn the evening of March 17, 2016, Walker was riding a dirt bike on the street and was fatally injured when he collided with a Ford Escape at an intersection in Liberty City, Florida.[5] He was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida, in critical condition after sustaining serious head injuries and spending much of the night in surgery. He died the following day from his injuries. According to reports Walker was riding at night without a helmet, had no headlights on, and was wearing dark clothing.[6]
Walker's funeral was held on March 26, 2016, in Miami.[7]
References
edit- ^ Knoblauch, Austin (March 18, 2016). "Ravens' Tray Walker dies from injuries in dirt bike crash". National Football League. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ^ Wilson, Aaron (May 8, 2015). "Ravens rookie corner Tray Walker dedicates football career to his late father's memory". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ "2015 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
- ^ "Tray Walker 2015 Fantasy Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
- ^ Hensley, Jamison (March 17, 2016). "Ravens CB Tray Walker critically hurt in motorcycle accident". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ^ Lisk, Jason (March 18, 2016). "Tray Walker Wasn't Wearing Helmet At Time of Dirt Bike Accident; Police Seek Unnamed Patriot as Witness". The Big Lead. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
- ^ Dixon, Lance (March 26, 2016). "Ravens pay tribute to Tray Walker at funeral service in Miami". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
External links
edit- Texas Southern Tigers bio
Media related to Tray Walker at Wikimedia Commons
