Know Your DB History: Everson Walls
When you are talking about underrated DBs in NFL History, Everson Walls is definitely on the list. Walls was not flashy. He was not supremely athletically gifted but what he was was a pain in the rear for every offense he faced.
Walls was late to football but always on time with getting his hands on the ball. He only played football his senior year at Berkner high school in Richardson, Texas near the old Texas Stadium home of the Cowboys. Despite the late start to playing the game, Walls led his district in interceptions in his one and only season playing high school football. Obviously not highly recruited, Walls had to convince Grambling Hall of Fame head coach Eddie Robinson into allowing him to walk on to the team.
The decision to add Walls to the team and eventually put him on scholarship would pay off for Robinson and Grambling. Walls would lead all of college football with 11 interceptions his senior year for the Tigers. His play would earn him Division I-AA All American Honors. However, his path to the NFL would not be any easier than his journey to college football was.
During workouts, Walls could only muster a 4.72 forty. He was determined to be too slow to play cornerback in the NFL especially with the likes of speedy WRs like Oakland’s Cliff Branch patrolling the gridiron. After having gone undrafted through the then 12 rounds of the NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys decided to sign Walls as an undrafted free agent. Not only did Walls make the team but he became the starter by game 5 of his rookie season in 1981. You would think that spending part of your rookie season as a back up would hurt production but not for Walls. He would lead the NFL in interceptions during his rookie year with 11.
The following season, the NFL would suffer through a strike shortened season. No problem for Walls. Once again he would lead in the NFL in interceptions with 7 in only 9 games. Through his first 21 games as a NFL starter, Walls had 20 interceptions. and through his first five seasons in the NFL, Walls would pull down a league leading 34 interceptions. He would end up playing nine seasons with the Cowboys, three with the NY Giants and two with the Cleveland Browns before retiring in 1993. He would make it to the Pro Bowl four times and lead the NFL in interceptions three times. Walls would also win the Super Bowl as a member of the 1990 NY Giants.
When all was said and done, Walls would end his career with 57 interceptions, good for 13th all time despite having retired almost three decades ago. Not bad for a former walk-on and undrafted free agent who ran a 4.72 forty. Unfortunately, Walls was never inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame which in my opinion is criminal. He was in integral part of some of the greatest Dallas Cowboy football teams in history. He was also one of the most prolific interceptors that the game has ever known.
Chad Wilson is the owner of All Eyes DB Camp and author of "101 DB Tips". He played college football at the University of Miami and briefly in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. Over his 15 year high school football coaching career, he tutored over a dozen Division I defensive backs and as a trainer has worked with NFL All Pros, first round draft picks, college football All Americans and Top 10 ranked high school football prospects.
