A third round pick by the Indianapolis Colts out of Florida Atlantic in 2015, D’Joun Smith had 113 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 21 passs deflections, 3 forced fumbles, and 9 picks for 135 yards and 2 TDs in 3 years for the Owls.
D’Joun has had problems staying on the field due to injury. He dressed for 4 games and made a tackle in 2015. In 2016, Smith was released by the Colts, and then spent a few months on the practice squad of the Lions and Titans. He’d be released in 2017.
Smith joined the AAF Orlando Apollos during 2018, and made the final roster of the team for 2019, but was inexplicably cut after the second game. (He’d record 1 tackle in the preseason contest against SD.) D’Joun joined the Baltimore Brigade of the Arena Football league, but it is unclear if he made the team or was placed on injured reserve.
Card: Panini Unparalleled 2016 Acquired: IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks/ Tampa Bay Vipers Joint Practice
After he was selected by the Roughnecks, I was willing to pay a couple of bucks to get this beauty of a card of Phillip. Although the canvas is blasted out with stars on a shiny background- it’s a very unique design and a solid shot of Walker surveying the battlefield. I then tried to figure out the best time to get him to sign this card, being that I’d have to make a long drive from Central Texas to Houston. I passed up a few events that he was the marquee player at, in favor of maybe a bigger event where I could corral him.
Look no further than the Houston Roughnecks/ Tampa Bay Vipers joint practice. I got wind of the event and figured it’d be my best shot at getting both the Roughnecks and Vipers. As a season ticket holder, the league gave us ‘access’ to the field- a joke of a cornered off area on the home side between the 20 and the end zone. I saw Phillip warming up and asked him for his autograph. He gestured to his teammate he was tossing the ball with and came over to sign his card. It’s a nice autograph, minus the smudge, but I see these mainly as like tattoos or scars- rather than blemishes. – They add personality.
Phillip Walker played in college for the Temple Owls from 2013 to 2016. A dynamic passer and playmaker for the Owls, he set numerous school passing and career passing records for the school. He finished with 10,668 yards (830/1,458) for 74 TDs (44 INT). Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts after the 2016 NFL Draft, he found himself on and off the team’s practice squad over the next 3 seasons.
In 2020, Phillip was assigned by the XFL to the Houston Roughnecks, after he was recommended by former Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. He’d compete with Connor Cook for the starting quarterback job in the Run N Shoot offense and win the starting job.
Walker was an untamed, wild talent, in the XFL to say the least. Every week he’d razzle and dazzle, impressing the local crowd and winning hearts and minds for the league. PJ led the team to a 5-0 record, completing 119 of 184 passes, for 1,338 yards, 15 TDs to just 4 interceptions. PJ had incredible pocket presence and awareness, but didn’t take off scrambling at the drop of a hat. He finished with 24 carries for 99 yards and a TD. Every game the home crowd was behind PJ chanting ‘PJ MVP’. It was electric.
After the XFL folded, PJ signed a free agent contract with the Carolina Panthers for the upcoming 2020 NFL season. He’d be reunited with his former college coach Matt Rhule, who had become the HC in Carolina. Walker backed up Teddy Bridgewater at quarterback, starting an 11/22 matchup against the Detroit Lions, and notching his first professional win.
Before Kayaune joined the Kentucky Wildcats in 2016, he saw valuable playing time at Phoenix College (JC). Over his two years with the Wildcats, Ross caught 21 passes for 296 yards and a TD. A track man, NFL teams were intrigued by Ross’ speed and he spent some time on the preseason rosters of the Bengals, Seahawks, Colts, and up north with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Kayaune joined the AAF in 2019 and was assigned to the Memphis Express. The team or league was confident in his star power and made jerseys of him before the season, but after the week 2 contest against the Hotshots, he had just one catch for 7 yards on the season. Coach Singletary, attempting to churn the roster to bring some life to the WR corps, cut Kayaune from the Express, ending his AAF stay after 2 games.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
