Herschel Walker spent his career as a running back, but he didn’t always play that position.
“A lot of people don’t know my very first time playing running back in a football game was here against Aquinas. I was playing another position; the senior got hurt in the game, and they moved me to running back. I had a very, very good game,” said Walker, in a press conference prior to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the CSRA’s GREAT Futures event May 11 at the Augusta Convention Center.
Walker, whose hometown of Wrightsville is about 70 miles southwest of Augusta, said the next week, he was back at that other position. He didn’t stay there long though. He was a standout running back at the University of Georgia. He won the Heisman Trophy and later played for several NFL teams.
Walker was the featured speaker at the sold-out event, which benefitted the programs of the Boys and Girls Clubs.
He said giving back is important to him.
Under Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry, Walker learned a lesson he’s kept with him.
“He said, ‘when you take something out of society, put something back in,’” he said. “I’ve been very blessed my whole life. I had some tough times growing up, but I had people reach back and help me.”
Now he believes he needs to reach back and help others.
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He said he was excited to be back in the Augusta area and “very, very excited to visit the Boys and Girls club here.”
He hoped to leave those in attendance with a message of hope and a realization that people need to do their part to make the world a better place.
“It’s my responsibility, everybody’s responsibility to give back and try to help someone else build their bridge,” he said.
One thing he tells children is “don’t give up. Always fight,” he said. “You never, never give up.”
The goal of the GREAT Futures event is to raise money to provide “life changing programs to children and teens across the CSRA, including STEM education, exposure to the arts, college and career readiness programs and health education, all within a safe, positive environment,” according to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the CSRA’s website.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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