Doak Walker

[tristatecoog]

My son is doing a presentation on the SMU legend. We have a picture of his boyhood home and SMU statue. I saw from Wikipedia that he had four kids (with wife #1?) and then met a former Olympic skiier in Colorado Springs and spent the rest of his life there.

Any good Doak stories to help fill in the gaps?

[Stallion]

the story about how he was released from the military in New Orleans in 1945 and was headed to UT to play with Bobby Layne but was basically kidnapped by SMU assistant Sleepy Morgan (?) and ended up playing against UT about 10 days later. (check facts but that's the4 gist)

[Fresno Mustang]

the story about how he was released from the military in New Orleans in 1945 and was headed to UT to play with Bobby Layne but was basically kidnapped by SMU assistant Sleepy Morgan (?) and ended up playing against UT about 10 days later. (check facts but that's the4 gist)

thats incredible. How old was he when he played at smu if he fought in the war?

[stc9]

I'm too young to have seen him play, but I did get to meet him when he was on campus in the early '90s. Even though he was an older man, he still had a tremendous presence. He couldn't have been a more gracious to the students or really anybody that approached him. As the university's biggest living legend at the time, he was kind and generous with his time.

If you want to know the man's legacy, it is simply this: As someone who never saw him play, after a 15 minute conversation he made you feel like the most important person in the room. Just as important, I still feel that way when I think back to that conversation 20 years later.

[EastStang]

Also he died as a result of injuries from a skiing accident at age 71, so he was athletic even into his 70's. Won the Heisman as a junior and rumor has it that he asked the NY AC not to put his name into contention because he did not have as great a senior year in his own eyes. Played for the Lions where he was united with Bobby Layne.

[mrydel]

My dad saw him play. Cotton Bowl was packed to capacity (The house that Doak built), and they would seat people on the sidelines below the stands. At some point, either late junior or early senior year, he was forced out of bounds on a play and ran into a contingent of wheelchair seated fans on the sideline, and was injured. My father said, although great, he never fully recovered from that injury.

Not sure how much of that is true or correct but could probably be researched. Possible that happened in his Lion days but I am pretty sure it was in the Cotton Bowl.

[Stallion]

Yep that happened in Senior year-so he missed a bunch of games including the Notre Dame classic when Kyle Rote had a big day and almost broke ND's long winning streak.

[smupony94]

My dad saw him play. Cotton Bowl was packed to capacity (The house that Doak built), and they would seat people on the sidelines below the stands. At some point, either late junior or early senior year, he was forced out of bounds on a play and ran into a contingent of wheelchair seated fans on the sideline, and was injured. My father said, although great, he never fully recovered from that injury.

Not sure how much of that is true or correct but could probably be researched. Possible that happened in his Lion days but I am pretty sure it was in the Cotton Bowl.

Interesting, I thought he came to SMU after seeing you play

[Dukie]

Played for the Lions where he was united with Bobby Layne.

Reunited, as they played together for Highland Park.

[West Coast Johnny]

Doak Walker had a giant Blue Ox named Babe and when he dragged his axe through the midwest, he created the Mississippi river.

[ponyte]

My father was being recruited by SMU in late '49-early 50. He was taking his official visit to SMU and SMU arranged transportation. The transportation was hitching a ride with Joe Perkins (Yes, that Joe Perkins as in Perkins School of Theology) and Doak Walker. He said both were absolute gentlemen. And he said he was too star struck to say much of anything to both men. Impinge, a HS senior riding in a car with a rich album and a Heisman winner all the way from Norman, OK to Dallas. I'm surprised SMU didn't get the DP for it.

It speaks volumes about both men that was gracious enough to share a ride with an unknown Okie HS player and be such a gentlemen about it. I can't for the life of me imagining a current Heisman winner comporting themselves in such fashion today.

[Treadway21]

the story about how he was released from the military in New Orleans in 1945 and was headed to UT to play with Bobby Layne but was basically kidnapped by SMU assistant Sleepy Morgan (?) and ended up playing against UT about 10 days later. (check facts but that's the4 gist)

thats incredible. How old was he when he played at smu if he fought in the war?

He joined the Merchant Marines with Bobby Layne after graduating from HP, but the war ended and they were released from service in New Orleans in Oct 45, according to a couple of books I have. Bobby Layne convinced him to go to Texas as Stallion said, but SMU was playing Tulane, and Matty Bell hired their HPHS coach Rusty Russell.

According to one story, they went up to meet the Texas backfield coach and missed him, then went to the lobby. A SMU alum talked to him and kept him out of view of the Texas coach until he checked out. Then Booby Layne stayed in New Orleans with his girl friend, while Doak rode back to HP with Rusty Russell. By the time he got back he committed to SMU.

The other story is not as glamorous. In that one told in his 1950 autobiography, he did miss the coach and got on a train to Dallas, and found out from his dad when he got back that Rusty Russell was coach he committed.

He was able to enroll cause SMU was on the Trimester system and played against Texas in the next game and lost 12-7. Doak took the number 37 cause as a kid he was a water boy for SMU and his favorite player was Harry Shufford who wore 37 for SMU and was a captain on the 35 Rose Bowl team.

[ponyte]

Doak was a waterboy for SMU? Looks like he carried SMU's water his entire life.

[Nacho]

http://www.detroitlions.com/team/histor ... alker.html

the detroit lion glory days

[The Falcon]

I grew up in Rockford IL and on Saturday afternoons as a boy I listened to the various
games of the week on the radio being broadcast by people like Bill Stern and Harry
Wismer. I became a big fan of SMU listening to the SMU/Michigan and SMU/Notre Dame
games. That was back in the 40's. I never dreamed that someday I would walk past
Doak's statue every morning on my way to work. Saw him, in person, on several
occasions but never had the good fortune to meet him. Doak, Kyle Rote, Fred Benners,
Don Meredith, Raymond Barry; and Forrest Greg - all bring back a flood of exciting
football memories.