FAYETTEVILLE - George Walker began Arkansas' 1954 season as a kid sophomore from Rison for Razorbacks ignored from their previous 3-7 season.
He concluded in 1954 as the all-purpose star among the Razorbacks still most fabled teams. Walker excelled as the single wing tailback/safety/punter/punt returner among Bowden Wyatt's 8-3 "25 Little Pigs." They stunned winning the Southwest Conference including triumphs over Texas and powerhouse Rice and a still fabled 6-0 upset of then mighty Ole Miss.
Redshirted and injured in 1955, Walker excelled again in 1956 and 1957 under Coach Jack Mitchell.
Walker died last week, Eddie Bradford, one of the 25 Little Pigs, reported learning from Tommy May for whom Walker worked as a valued executive at Simmons Bank.
Walker went from young man to trigger man in 1954, Bradford recalled. A single wing tailback, Walker multi-tasked as lead passer and runner, plus punting and safety all supervised by Wyatt, the sternest who ever coached, profess most who played for him.
"He was a sophomore flame that year who did a great job for us," Bradford, a senior lineman in 1954, said. "He had to do all those things and provided excellent leadership as a sophomore."
Then Bradford laughed.
"He was typical of the kids on that team," Bradford said. "Hard workers that kept their nose to the grindstone. We all suffered Bowden Wyatt together."
In their book "The Razorbacks" co-authored by the late Orville Henry and the late Jim Bailey, Bailey wrote of Walker implementing what Wyatt brought from Tennessee.
"Walker from Rison was an exemplary football player, a textbook Tennessee tailback," Bailey wrote. "He was poised, smart and coachable with the knack of making the right move under pressure. He could win games passing and kicking. He ran, not with great speed, but with great instinct and alertness that made him more dangerous than much faster men. He was a sure, wise safety on defense."
Bradford especially recalled Walker starring when the 25 Little Pigs snapped Arkansas' 7-year losing streak to Jess Neely's Rice Owls, 47-0 victors over Arkansas in 1953 in Houston.
Arkansas avenged 28-15 in '54 at Little Rock.
Bailey's account verifies Bradford's recall.
"Walker passed for the Razorbacks' key plays on two long touchdown drives, each started under the pressure of Rice leads 6-0 in the third quarter and 15-14 in the final period," Bailey wrote. "And Walker supplied a humiliating fillip with a 72-yard punt return in the third quarter, made possible when the Owls relaxed on a tackle before the whistle had blown. George just pulled away and kept going. When it was over, Walker had completed 9 of 13 for 119 yards (every completion a vital one) punted 6 times for a 43-yard average, advanced the ball nearly 200 yards on rushing and kick returns and scored 19 points."
A great day by a greater man, Bradford believes.
"I've never known anybody that didn't have the greatest feeling toward George," Bradford said.
Sports on 02/13/2019