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Doak Walker (Jan. 1, 1927-Sept. 27, 1998)
Three-time All-America and Heisman Trophy winning running back, SMU
"He's Doak Walker, and he was as golden as golden gets. He had perfectly even, white teeth and a
jaw as square as a deck of cards and a mop of brown hair that made girls bite their necklaces. He
was so shifty you couldn't have tackled him in a phone booth, yet so humble that he wrote the
Associated Press a thank-you note for naming him an All-America. Come to think of it, he was a
three-time All-America, twice one of the Outstanding Players in the Cotton Bowl, a four-time All-Pro.
He appeared on 47 covers, including Life, Look and Collier's. One time, Kyle Rote, another gridiron
golden boy, saw a guy buying a football magazine at a newsstand. 'Don't buy that one,' Rote said. 'It's
not official. It doesn't have a picture of Doak Walker on the cover.' "
—Rick Reilly, Sports Illustrated, May 18, 1998Photo by AP
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