Net Worth

Herschel Walker Net Worth: How Much Does Herschel Walker Make in a Year?

Lakshmi

herschel walker net worth

Former professional football player and mixed martial artist Herschel Walker have a $10 million net worth. Herschel played for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants during his NFL career. From 1983 through 1985, he began his professional career with the defunct USFL’s New Jersey Generals.

Early Life

Herschel Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia on March 3, 1962. Willis and Christina Walker had a total of seven children, all of whom were reared in Wrightsville, Georgia.

Walker attended Johnson County High School, where he participated in football, basketball, and track as a student-athlete.

Walker carried for a total of 3,167 yards during his senior year on the football squad, a feat that helped the Trojans capture their first-ever state championship.

College Career

Walker attended the University of Georgia after graduating from high school, where he played running back for the football team. Not only was he a three-time All-American at the University of Georgia, but he also earned the Heisman Trophy in 1982 as well as the Maxwell Award.

Walker is the only athlete in NCAA history to have finished in the top three in Heisman voting in all three of his collegiate seasons while playing for only three years.

In addition, he was the first three-year player in NCAA history to finish in the top 10 in rushing yards. Walker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and is largely regarded as one of college football’s greatest players.

Walker, Herschel did not graduate from the University of Georgia. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Studies but abandoned his studies to join the USFL.

herschel walker net worth

Personal Life

Walker married Cindy DeAngelis Grossman in 1983. The couple met in college and have one child together. In 2002, after 19 years of marriage, they divorced.

He began dating Julie M. Blanchard around 2010 approximately (2010 is when they were first romantically linked). They are in a committed relationship and reside in Westlake, Texas. Blanchard is a former executive at ESPN.

Walker is a lifelong Republican noted for his political engagement. In 2014, he appeared in an ad paid for by the United States Chamber of Commerce that backed Jack Kingston’s U.S. Senate race.

In addition to U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler, Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and President Donald Trump, he has openly declared his support for other politicians. Walked was named Co-Chair of President Trump’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition in 2019.

Football Career

The three-time All-American began his professional football career with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL. He earned the USFL rushing championship in both 1983 and 1985. In anticipation of the demise of the USFL, the Dallas Cowboys drafted Herschel in the fifth round (114th overall) in 1985. In fact, the USFL disbanded, and Herschel joined the Cowboys for the 1986 season.

Walker’s first two seasons with the Cowboys were marked by conflict with teammate Tony Dorsett, who was upset with the reduction in his playing time following Walker’s arrival. However, after Dorsett left for the Denver Broncos, Walker was free to truly shine.

In 1988, while playing seven different positions (including halfback, fullback, tight end, H-back, and wide receiver), Walker amassed amazing statistics: 1,512 rushing yards and 508 receiving yards. This made him the tenth player in NFL history to amass over 2,000 rushing and receiving yards in a single season.

Walker was traded by the Cowboys to the Minnesota Vikings in 1989. The Cowboys received five players (Jesse Solomon, Issac Holt, Darrin Nelson, David Howard, and Alex Stewart) and six future draft picks in exchange for Walker. This transaction, commonly known as the “HWT” (Herschel Walker trade), was viewed by many as an opportunity for the Vikings to reach the Super Bowl.

In time, however, it became evident that the true winners of the transaction were the Cowboys, and the HWT is now regarded as one of the most lopsided moves in NFL history. Walker joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 1992.

He played there for three seasons before joining the New York Giants in 1995. The Giants reportedly offered him a three-year, $4,8 million contract. The following year, in 1996, he returned to the Dallas Cowboys. He retired following the 1997 season, concluding his NFL career with the same team with which he began.

Contracts and Earnings

In 1983, Herschel signed a three-year, $5 million contract with the New Jersey Generals that was remarkable at the time. At the time, J. Walter Duncan, a Dallas oil magnate, controlled the squad. The USFL, like the NFL, had a salary cap of $1.8 million.

To evade the salary cap, Herschel’s contract was designed so that a portion of his compensation came from a separate “personal services” contract inked with the team owner. This contract was handed to Donald Trump following the 1983 season when he became the team’s owner.

Herschel got $1 million in salary and $1 million in bonus in his first year. For the 1984 season, he received an additional $1 million. In 1985, he earned $1,250,000.

Herschel signed a new five-year, $5 million contract with the Cowboys for the 1986 season, following the demise of the USFL in 1985. Tony Dorsett, who was under a five-year, $4.5 million contract, was disturbed by Herschel’s contract.

Herschel’s 1995 contract with the New York Giants was for three years and $4.8 million.

Other Athletic Pursuits

Walker participated in the 1992 Winter Olympics, which took place in Albertville, France, when he was still an active NFL player 1992. He was a part of the men’s United States bobsled squad. He and his teammate, Brian Shimer, placed seventh overall in the two-man bobsleigh competition.

Walker joined with the MMA promotion business Strikeforce in 2009 to compete in the heavyweight class. After twelve weeks of training at the American Kickboxing Academy, Walker debuted in mixed martial arts in January 2010 against Greg Nagy. Walker won the battle.

In his second MMA match, which took place in January 2011, Walker defeated WEC competitor Scott Carson. Walker does tae kwon do in addition to his MMA training; he holds a fifth-degree black belt.

Other Activities

Outside of sports, Walker has occasionally participated in various reality television shows. During the third season of “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off,” he was a cast member and ultimately the winner. His other appearance was on “Celebrity Apprentice” (2009). During the seventh episode, he was removed from contention.

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