Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rodrick Walker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Rodrick thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We love heartwarming stories – do you have a heartwarming story from your career to share?

I am a Dallas,Texas native. I played football at the running back position at Irving Nimitz High School, where after a dynamic high school career, I became the #2 overall recruit in the nation. Here’s the crazy part….I didn’t even play my senior year. I broke my ankle on the FIRST play of my FIRST game. I knew instantly that my college football career was over.

The next morning when I woke up out of surgery,….my life began to change. As I laid there in my hospital bed with a cast all the way up to my hip, and completely exhausted and depressed, the hospital room telephone rang. It was the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He told me that they were not worried about my injury, because they knew that I would recover well. He went on to mention that Notre Dame still wanted me and that head coach Lou Holtz sends his prayers and couldn’t wait to meet me in person. I think I started mentally working out as soon as we got off of the phone. That call was a God send to me. On That day, the phone rang constantly. Colleges from all over the country started calling me. Notre Dame, Texas, Miami, UCLA, USC, Michigan, Georgia, LSU, Texas Tech, Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Florida, Clemson, Rutgers, SMU, Navy, Mississippi St., Florida St., and Alabama just to name a few.

That wasn’t even the highlight of my day, though! After all of my calls from the colleges had slowed down, there was a huge sense of relief and calmness in my hospital room. My mama and daddy both had smiles on their faces bigger than mine. I felt like I was back! At least mentally, because I definitely wasn’t physically. Then it happened. There was a double knock at my room door and then the door flew wide open. A man of tall stature, nice smile, and commanding voice enters and loudly asks…”Who is this Rodrick Walker that I keep hearing about that has all the girls and guys crying in the hospital lobby carrying tons of flowers and teddy bears?!” My mama, not knowing who he was, pointed at me in my bed and said, “That’s him right there.” As he continued to walk towards me, he looked at my mama and said back to her with a nod…,”Oh I know exactly who he is.” I knew exactly who he was too. My eyeballs were still big and my jaw still dropped as he reached out his hand to shake mine. “Rodrick Walker”, I said. He replied, “Very nice to finally meet you in person, Rodrick. We talk about you a lot in the Dallas Cowboys locker room. I’m Roger Staubach.

My heart was overwhelmed with excitement! Here I am shaking hands with the greatest quarterback in Dallas Cowboys history!….In MY hospital room! After talking and laughing and doing a lot of listening to him, Mr Staubach asked me, “What do you want to achieve in your first year in college?” I told him that I wanted to win the Heisman Trophy as a freshman. No one had done that before. He looked at me as he shook my hand for a photo opportunity and said, “Well….I think you can do it.” Quickly, after a very short pause, he continued with, “if you go to Navy.” I smiled a huge smile, and he smiled a bigger one back at me. Of course, Mr Staubach was a superstar at Navy. Heck, he won the Heisman Trophy!!! What a day.

I went through a very vigorous and emotional rehabilitation process. It was tough not just on me, but I was able to see my parent’s faces of sadness for me when things seemed too hard for me. There was no quitting, though. The end was near, and my goals were set.

Despite not playing my senior year, I was still selected to play in the Whataburger All Star Game in Houston that summer. It’s now called the McDonalds All Star Game. Getting selected to play was an honor, but actually playing in the game was even more gratifying, encouraging, and uplifting for me. I’m also featured quite extensively in the notable sports biography called, Friday Night Lights.

I went on to play college football at The University of Texas at Austin, helping the Longhorns win 2 conference titles my freshman and senior years. I also lead the team in rushing my senior season. College wasn’t as simple as this may sound. You see, there was a point in my college career where my coaches were making promises, but not honoring their word. It happened under to different coaching staffs. This caused me great depression, and only I knew it. I began to slack off on my education, and I eventually flunked out of college after my sophomore year. We didn’t go to a bowl game that year, so I was at home in Dallas, laying in my parent’s bed watching all the games. I remember getting that phone call from my academic advisor and listening to him that I was no longer welcomed back at The University of Texas due to academics. The pause on the phone was maybe only 3 seconds, but it felt like a lifetime. I quickly asked him, “What do I need to do to get back into school?” He mentioned community college and taking classes that would transfer to go along w my major. At that point I knew I had to do something scary. I had to tell my parents that I had flunked out of college. I had never in my life been so uncomfortable and afraid. Not afraid as in scared they are going to do something to me. I was scared because I knew this would disappoint them. See, I was very smart and made the Honor Roll in high school every six weeks except for one. I took honors math, reading, and English. Yes, college was much different, but so was my brain. I stood in front of them like the man my daddy raised me to be and told them that I was no longer accepted at The University of Texas until my grades are improved and transferable. My daddy said something to me at that moment that almost crushed me. He said, “Well….we’ll just get in the truck and drive to Austin to get your things. When we get back, you can just find you a job. He said it so calmly, that it was also spooky. Just a terrifying thought to me. I can’t go off to college for a year or two and end up back home. That would keep the trend alive! So many very talented athletes have came out of my West Dallas neighborhood and went to college. 99 % of them returned home in less than two years because of academic ineligibility.

I didn’t waste any time going back to Austin. Luckily, I was dating a girl who worked at Austin Community College. More importantly, her mama was one of the lead executives on campus. That relationship led me to getting a meeting with the president of the college. He was a short man, like my daddy, standing about 5’8. However, his voice was big and mighty. He sat me down and literally scolded me for messing up my grades and putting myself in this situation. He began asking me questions about life and having goals. This felt like a pop quiz for physics! We finally ended our chat, and then we got on the phone with my academic advisor at UT. They spoke and discussed what classes I needed to take to ensure that they would transfer and merge with my major.

Here is where the earth started to shake for me. The president of the college asked me how much money did I have. Being a full scholarship student athlete, it was against NCAA rules and regulations for an athlete to make wages unless it was a summer job. So my answer was simple. I have ZERO dollars. He had me fill out a form that would allow me to get $500 from a grant. After getting the classes I needed and the much needed $500, you’d think I was all good right? Wrong. Since I was no longer enrolled in UT, I had no place to lay my head. I came back to Austin and met the president of a college, got the classes that I needed to work my way back into UT, and $500 all in the same day. That also was the moment that I became homeless.

Depending on where my next class was within the Austin city limits, due to the multiple community college locations, I would sleep on the bus stop that night so that I could catch the first bus the next morning to class. Even if my class the next day was at 11:00 am, I would catch the 6:00 am bus just so that I could get to school and relax in the student lounge or break room. I’d doze off watching tv until my class started. I slept on the bus stop every night except Tuesdays. On that day, I would sneak into my friend’s dorm room for the most enjoyable rest ever. That was also sandwich night on her George Foreman grill.

This lasted for 6 months.

At the end of my 2nd summer semester, I was done. I had made all the necessary grades in order for me to go back to The University of Texas! I was officially enrolled and accepted back on the team! They even honored me by letting me run the team out on the field before every game! What I’m most proud of are my academic achievements once I returned. The next two years, I was awarded a Presidential Endowment Scholarship for my academics. I also made the Southwest Conference Honor Roll. Finally, I was awarded the NCAA Commissioner’s Honor Roll! They even introduced me at halftime of one of our Men’s Basketball games against Michigan. I got a chance to walk out to the middle of the court while they introduced me to the crowd.

At the end of my senior season, I was projected to get drafted 3rd through the 5th round. I had gotten pre-draft calls from the Dallas Cowboys, the Washington Redskins, (now the Washington Commanders), the Atlanta Falcons, and the San Francisco 49ers. The Cowboys did call me on draft day, but only to tell me that they were going to draft Sherman Williams who was still on the draft board in the 2nd round.

After going undrafted, I did make a team through free agency. I was cut very early in the process. After playing around for some smaller leagues, I got tired of traveling and came back home to Dallas. I helped start a sports and entertainment company, and I represented a few NFL players with product deals. Over night that company went from a sports and entertainment firm to a sports agency. Priest Holmes was a teammate of mine, and had become a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens. He needed new player representation, and I flew two attorneys / sports agents to his home in San Antonio for him to interview. Long story short. After going through what seemed like a maze with wanting to make sure we provided Priest with everything he felt he needed, he eventually signed with us, and we signed him yo the Kansas City Chiefs. The rest is history.

I moved back to Austin and started a family. I was the President of the NFL Players Association for the San Antonio & Austin Chapters from 2018 to 2021. Afterwards, I was voted in by my NFL peers as the Vice President of the NFL Alumni Association for Central Texas. In 2022, I was awarded the very first Earl Campbell Athletic Alumnus of the Year award!

I actively promote and run NFL youth football camps throughout the state of Texas and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When not in camp season, I’m training clients helping them to live a better quality of life. I have a 22 year old son, (Rodrick Walker II), and a 8 year old daughter, (Madelyn Marie Walker), who both are the reason why I breathe.

Rodrick , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I get a complete sense of joy when I get a chance to help someone to not be hungry. It brings me joy to know that someone is no longer in that abusive relationship any more. To buy and build a brand new bicycle and to give that bike to a kid on Christmas Day is the best! Helping a community or even an entire country receive clean drinking water gets me excited! Helping people reduce physical pains without medicines or chemicals activates my smiley face! Going to a children’s hospital to pass out teddy bears and visiting the children with cancer in the oncology department really humbles me and makes me feel so proud of each kid that has decided to Not Give Up.

Raising money for the Rodrick Walker Foundation allows me to support many charities. Planning casino nights or golf tournaments are a fun way to bring awareness to the community.

I love speaking and motivating all people from all walks of life.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’ve always been a people person. My parents were the same way. The life of the party. My parents even hosted house parties when I was a child.

I’ve gained a lot of alcaldes throughout my life, and have had the opportunity to thank those who had a major role in my success. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter how much talent you may have, you still need other people to do their part in order for one to be successful. I call that a Team.

I’ve learned to listen to my peers. I listen intentionally, because I really want to know what I can do to help them. Regardless of my success, I’ve never been the one to brag and boast about it. I’m the same guy regardless of having money or being homeless. I’ll never change. My clientele will share my kindness with others, and others want to see if it’s true. I’ve gained many new and valuable relationships simply because someone else told them about me.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

In my field, and probably in many if not all, you have to be a good listener. You’re not the only one with a great story to tell. You’re not the only one with problems. You’re not the only one with a great idea. If we listen, we can find a ton of diamonds living amongst us just waiting to be discovered and polished.

We have two ears for a reason.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @SirRod03
• Facebook: Rodrick Walker
• Twitter: @SirRod3