| Jay Walker | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| State Delegate: | Maryland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| District: | 26th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Term Start: | January 10, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Term End: | January 11, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predecessor: | Darryl A. Kelley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Name: | Jewel Jacobia Walker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Date: | 24 January 1972 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse: | Monique Anderson-Walker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children: | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence: | Fort Washington, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education: | Howard University (BA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jewel Jacobia Walker (born January 24, 1972) is an American businessman, former politician, and former professional football player who served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for the 26th district. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Walker is also CEO and president of Walker Financial Services and a college football analyst for ESPN.[1]
Born in California, Walker attended University High School in Los Angeles and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Howard University.
Walker played quarterback in both college and professional football, after a brief stint in professional baseball. After high school, he was drafted by Major League Baseball's California Angels organization. He spent one year as a pitcher in the minor leagues before deciding to pursue college football. He initially attended Long Beach State but transferred when football was eliminated as a sport at the school.[2]
Walker later joined the Howard Bison, where he set single-season records for pass completions and passing yardage, as well as a single-game record for pass completions (with 38). His passing earned him the nickname "Sky Walker." He was selected to the All-MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) teams in both 1993 and 1994, and named Offensive Player of the Year in 1994. That season, the Bison recorded an undefeated regular season while winning the MEAC championship and a claim to the black college football national championship; the team also secured the school's first NCAA Division I-AA playoff bid and a top-ten national ranking.[3] [4] [5] In 2005, Walker was voted into the Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Walker pursued a professional career in the National Football League when he was selected in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL draft by the New England Patriots to join the quarterback room of Drew Bledsoe and Scott Zolak.[6] Walker spent the 1995 season in the World League of American Football with the Barcelona Dragons, where he suffered an injury during a game in which a lack of running backs required him to throw a pass on every play.[7] Following the injury, he lost his job with New England, but he returned to the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, where he served as a backup for two years. He attempted two career NFL passes, both for completions.[8]
Walker was a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from January 10, 2007, to January 11, 2023. He served on the House Ways and Means Committee. He was also a member of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.[9]
Walker sponsored House Bill 30 in 2007, establishing the Maryland Educational Fund.[10]
In March 2022, Walker announced that he would not seek re-election to any office in 2022.[11]
Walker is married to Monique Anderson-Walker, a former politician and candidate for lieutenant governor of Maryland in 2022. He lives in Fort Washington, Maryland, and has three children.