Herschel Walker

**Herschel Walker** (born March 3, 1962) is an American retired football player, politician, bobsledder, sprinter, and mixed martial artist who has been the 14th U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas since 2025. He played college football for the University of Georgia. He has been called one of the best college football players of all time. He was the Republican candidate for the United States Senate in Georgia for the 2022 election and was defeated in the runoff election by Raphael Warnock.

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Walker to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in October 2025.

## Personal life

Walker was born in Augusta, Georgia. He studied at University of Georgia. He was married to Cindy DeAngelis Grossman from 1983 until their divorce in 2002. They have one son, Christian.

## NFL career

Walker began his professional football career with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983. He later joined the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In the NFL, he also played for the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants. He retired from the NFL in 1997.

He was honored into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

## Political career

He was named Co-Chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition after being appointed by President Donald Trump in 2020. He supported Trump's presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020.

Walker ran for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate from Georgia in the 2022 election. Former President Trump supported his Senate campaign.

On December 18, 2024 President-elect Trump announced that Walker would be nominated to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. His nomination was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in a 51-47 vote. He is the first U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas in nearly fifteen years.

## Infobox (martial artist)

- **child**: yes
- **height**: 6ft 1in
- **weight**: 220lb
- **weight class**: Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight
- **reach in**: 76
- **stance**: Orthodox
- **fighting out of**: San Jose, California, U.S.
- **team**: American Kickboxing Academy
- **trainer**: Bob Cook
- **rank**: 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo
- **mma win**: 2
- **mma kowin**: 2
- **sherdog**: 53594


## Infobox (nfl biography)

- **embed**: yes
- **number**: 34
- **position**: Running back
- **height ft**: 6
- **height in**: 1
- **weight lb**: 225
- **high school**: Johnson County School District, Johnson County
(Wrightsville, Georgia)
- **college**: Georgia Bulldogs football, Georgia (1980–1982)
- **draftyear**: 1985
- **draftround**: 5
- **draftpick**: 114
- **pastteams**: * New Jersey Generals (–)
* Dallas Cowboys ()
* Minnesota Vikings (–)
* Philadelphia Eagles ()
* New York Giants ()
* Dallas Cowboys ()
- **highlights**: * United States Football League, USFL MVP (1985)
* 2× Second-team All-Pro (1987 All-Pro Team, 1987, 1988 All-Pro Team, 1988)
* 2× Pro Bowl (1988 Pro Bowl, 1987, 1989 Pro Bowl, 1988)
* College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS, National champion (1980 Georgia Bulldogs football team, 1980)
* Heisman Trophy (1982)
* Maxwell Award (1982)
* Walter Camp Award (1982)
* Sporting News College Football Player of the Year, _SN_ Player of the Year (1982)
* UPI College Football Player of the Year, UPI Player of the Year (1982)
* Chic Harley Award (1982)
* SEC Athlete of the Year (1983)
* 3× Southeastern Conference football individual awards#Player of the Year, SEC Player of the Year (1980–1982)
* 3× List of unanimous All-Americans in college football, Unanimous All-American (1980 College Football All-America Team, 1980–1982 College Football All-America Team, 1982)
* 3× First-team List of All-SEC football teams, All-SEC (1980 All-SEC football team, 1980–1982 All-SEC football team, 1982)
* Southeastern Conference#50th anniversary All-Time SEC Team, SEC All-Time Team (1982)
* AP All-Time All-America college football team#First team, First-team AP All-Time All-American (2025)
* Georgia Bulldogs football#Retired numbers, Georgia Bulldogs No. 34 retired
- **statleague**: NFL
- **statlabel1**: Carry (American football), Rushing attempts
- **statvalue1**: 1,954
- **statlabel2**: Rushing yards
- **statvalue2**: 8,225
- **statlabel3**: Touchdown, Rushing touchdowns
- **statvalue3**: 61
- **statlabel4**: Reception (gridiron football), Receptions
- **statvalue4**: 512
- **statlabel5**: Receiving yards
- **statvalue5**: 4,859
- **statlabel6**: Touchdown, Receiving touchdowns
- **statvalue6**: 21
- **pfr**: WalkHe00
- **collegehof**: 2049


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Herschel Walker
- **image**: United States Ambassador to the Bahamas Herschel Junior Walker.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2025
- **president**: Donald Trump
- **term start**: December 9, 2025
- **predecessor**: Nicole Avant (2011)
- **office1**: Co-Chair of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
- **president1**: Donald Trump
Joe Biden
- **term start1**: 2018
- **term end1**: 2022
- **predecessor1**: Dominique Dawes
Drew Brees
- **successor1**: Elena Delle Donne
José Andrés
- **birth name**: Herschel Junior Walker
- **birth place**: Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
- **party**: Republican (United States), Republican
- **spouse**:

- **children**: 4, including Christian Walker (media personality), Christian
- **education**: University of Georgia (Bachelor of Science, BS)
- **awards**: #Awards and honors, Full list
- **order**: 14th United States Ambassador to the Bahamas