Card: Upper Deck UT 2011, photo memorabilia
Acquired: In Person 11/9/2011, UD UT 2011 Release Party

Johnny Walker was a beast of a receiver in the dying days of the SWC playing for David McWilliams at the University of Texas. He’d team up with Oklahoma beater Peter Gardere, diminutive speedster Tony Jones, and Eric Metcalf to make high flying acrobatics. Some of my earliest memories of watching College Football on TV was when my friend Josh would come over and instead of watching cartoons, we watched Saturday football on the Raycom Sports Network. A UT All-SWC wide receiver in 1989 and 1990, Walker was also a standout baseball player and had been drafted by the Cubs in 1987 and the Braves in 1990.  After graduating from UT he’d be drafted in the 8th round of the 1991 draft by the Green Bay Packers, but would not make the team.  He currently works in sports radio out of San Antonio where he gives his no-holds barred perspective on the Longhorns and the national sports scene. He also handles Medicare work as well.

I really like this card. There are some players in the history of your favorite schools that just don’t get the national exposure after they graduate that you’d like them to. I went to the appearance with the idea in mind that Walker would not have a card, but to break open a box and find his in there along with legends like Bill Bradley and others, made it all the while for me to get the set. My only complaint was the high gloss that is insisted upon by companies like UD. When will they learn that many fans WANT to get these cards autographed and the gloss only makes it harder for the autograph to take. The backs of the cards are, -well underwhelming. Where are the stats and player information?

When I met Johnny I had an extra of his card that I immediately gave to him. He had not seen it yet so it made him very excited. There was never a card of Walker produced. I also had him sign a piece of photo memorabilia, to which he wrote across it “O Who? Johnny Walker #1 Hook em 28-24” which was the score of the infamous game they won in 1989 when Johnny caught the game winning touchdown (pictured) against the Sooners.