"He has no business being in office" - NFL world reacts to Herschel Walker's troubling confession
Former NFL running back Herschel Walker is running for the U.S. Senate in the state of Georgia. Walker is running on the Republican ticket, and some of his recent comments drew attention from the public, specifically on NFL Twitter.
MORE: Herschel Walker doesn’t deny that he held a gun to his ex-wife’s head and threatened to “blow her brains out.” He just says he doesn’t remember because he has a mental illness which includes multiple personalities.
Walker is set to win the Republican nomination Tuesday.
Some fans feel that anyone with psychological issues should not hold public office:
@nancyljones1 @NoLieWithBTC Lots of ex-sports folks are nice people, until the symptoms of CTE/TBI finally start to manifest. He has no business being in office, for this and many other reasons.
Others point to the larger issue, which is the treatment of women and the issues of domestic violence:
@NoLieWithBTC The United States of America is on the list of 1 of the 10 most dangerous countries in the world to be a female. https://t.co/mf5Hi6dvV4
His presumed opponent will be incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock. This user has faith that Warnock will be re-elected:
@NoLieWithBTC I'm going to have to have faith that Senator Warnock is re-elected. Senator Warnock is such a great orator, and a good senator. It shouldn't be a contest. Football shouldn't be the reason to elect someone to government.
The NFL and football have branched into U.S. politics:
@RoundtownA @NoLieWithBTC Alabama agrees! Oh, wait…Senator Tommy Three-Branches, anyone?
The former running back's psychological diagnosis has been the target of political opponents as his senate campaign continues in the state of Georgia:
@NoLieWithBTC Yes, but which personality of Herschel Walker will win … and will he remember?
This user feels that government elections should have more stringent requirements, such as a background check:
@NoLieWithBTC I don’t understand how for most jobs, there are stringent requirements that must be met: interview, background check, health check, reference check. Yet for these crucial government positions, nothing? Something has to change!
NFL Twitter does sometimes bleed into the political spectrum:
@NoLieWithBTC https://t.co/sK3n6kSVJ3
Psychological health and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) are issues the NFL continues to grapple with. This user thinks that as a result, he should not be allowed to be a Senator:
@NoLieWithBTC Some signs and symptoms of CTE are thought to include difficulties with thinking (cognition) and emotions, physical problems and other behavioral problems.
Herschel is a bad choice for Senator.
He shouldn't be given any job requiring critical thinking.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-condi…
This user took a rather different stance on his disorder and suggested that all of his personalities would vote for policies that they disagree with:
@NoLieWithBTC I don’t care how many personalities Herschel Walker has because I know all of them would vote for policies I strenuously disagree with.
This user stated that the incident is recorded in the running back's book:
@NoLieWithBTC @house_zeke It's IN HIS BOOK! He can read his own book.
Herschel Walker’s NFL career
Herschel Walker first played in the United States Football League (USFL), and the Dallas Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. When the USFL folded, the Cowboys signed Walker in 1986, and he initially shared backfield duties with star running back Tony Dorsett.
The running back would have his best career year in 1988 with 1,514 rushing yards, 505 receiving yards, five rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. This while playing seven positions including halfback, fullback, tight end, H-back, and wide receiver.
In 1989, the Cowboys (under new ownership with Jerry Jones) traded Walker to the Minnesota Vikings for five players and six future draft picks. Those draft picks eventually became Emmitt Smith, Russell Maryland, Kevin Smith, and Darren Woodson.
Emmitt Smith would go on to become the NFL's all-time career rushing leader in yards, a record that still stands today. Smith was also inducted into the NFL Hall-of-Fame. Cowboys safety Darren Woodson is still under consideration to be inducted into the Hall-of-Fame after playing his entire 12-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.
The trade symbolized a turning point for the Cowboys franchise that turned into three Super Bowl wins in four years during the 1990's, which established the Dallas Cowboys dynasty.
We shall have to wait and see how this situation unfolds as it is unlikely to be the last we hear on the matter.