Card: Score 2007
Acquired: 2014, Albany Acquisition
Darius Walker was a solid runningback at Notre Dame from 2004-2006. Clocking in at 5’11”, 205, Walker ran for 3,249 yards and 17 touchdowns, but also was a great receiver out of the backfield, setting the school mark for runningbacks with 56 catches in 2006. He declared after his Junior season, but after a subpar combine, was not drafted. Walker was in the process of signing with the Chicago Bears, when he had a change of heart and signed with the Texans. Darius felt he had a better chance of making the Texans roster, after the sudden injury retirement of Dominick Davis/ Williams the previous season.
Hoping that Ahman Green was the answer, the Texans signed him to a contract, but injuries limited his effectiveness. In the end Ron Dayne ended up with the lion’s share of the carries and the yards. Darius finally saw game action in week 13 and helped the team go 3-1 down the stretch. During week 16, Walker rushed for a career high 86 yards on 10 carries, and his first professional touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He’d join the St. Louis Rams in 2008, but was unable to secure a spot on the squad. With Green back on IR the Texans resigned Walker during the season, but he wouldn’t see time on the field. Darius also spent time with the Broncos and Cowboys in 2009. He’s spent time as a sideline reporter and as analyst for Fox.
I had forgotten about Walker. He was the poor man’s Arian Foster to me, but much rougher. I was pretty disappointed after he signed with the Rams, and hoped he was going to be our long term answer at runningback. Although he saw action in 4 games, he ran well and did not put the rock on the ground. With the glut of backs out there looking for jobs, Walker always seemed lost in every roster’s number game.
G/Gs 4/2 Rush 58 Yds 264 Td 1 Lg 41 | Rec 13 Yds 81 Avg 6.2 Td 0 Lg 9
We talked briefly about how teams were keying in and figuring out the Texans offense last season. Cory stopped for a second to try to phrase it as delicately as possible, then just told me that the offense was simple. You could tell when a certain set of personnel was coming into the game, and when receivers lined up just outside the slot, what the team was going to run. The Texans offense also had very simple set of routes for their receivers, so their defensive backs knew when to come up to the line of scrimmage and just sit on the routes, especially when 
Word was that the venerable Redding might retire after the 2014 season. Cory was brought in by coach Chuck Pagano from Baltimore in 2012 to be a mentor to the younger bucks on the Colts D and teach them the ins and outs of the system. His initial plan was to retire after year 10, but here he is now in 2015 still chugging along, signing as a Free Agent with the Arizona Cardinals. Cory finished his degree in education and was inducted into the UT’s Hall of Honor in November of 2014.
