Former Detroit Lions linebacker Wayne Walker, who once held the franchise record for games played (200) and seasons (15), died Friday in Idaho. He was 80 years old.
In 2007, Walker was diagnosed with throat cancer and in 2015 he announced he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Selected as a member of the Lions’ 75th anniversary all-time team, the outside linebacker and kicker was a standout iron man in the Detroit, where he started for all of his 15 seasons (1958-72). His team records for games and seasons were broken in 2004 by Jason Hanson.
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Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Walker passed on an offer to play professional baseball in order to play football at the University of Idaho.