Frank Thomas

Notable Sports Figures
Awards and Accomplishments
late 1980s All-American team
1990 Big Eight Conference defensive player of the year
1991 NFL’s first deaf player in nearly 20 years
1994 CFL’s first deaf player in history
back as a player. However, there were limitations to
what positions he could play. Although his speed and
relatively small size made suited him to play inside linebacker,
his inability to pick up changes in defense made
the position inappropriate for him. Instead he played defensive
tackle—a position usually reserved for the
biggest, heaviest players on the team.
Nicknamed “Mumbles” for his reticence during
meetings, Walker gained confidence as he adjusted to
the world of college football. As a player, he stole the
hearts of Cornhuskers fans. When he ran onto the field
for his final game at Nebraska, a crowd of some 76,000
raised their hands and wiggled their fingers in the international
sign for applause. He responded with “I love
you” in sign language. An All-American player, Walker
was named Big Eight Conference defensive player of
the year in 1990.
As the first deaf student to attend the university,
Walker was initially shy about speaking and using sign
language in public. But as he adjusted to campus life he
became more comfortable in public and more involved
in campus activities. Walker, who draws children’s cartoons
in his spare time, majored in art and held a 3.1
grade point average. When he was not studying or playing
football, he indulged in one of his favorite pastimes,
catfishing, and often volunteered working with deaf
children in the Lincoln, Nebraska, area.
Joined Denver Broncos
Selected by the Denver Broncos in the eighth round of
the 1991 NFL draft, Walker became professional American
football’s first deaf player since Bonnie Sloan, who
had played for the St. Louis Cardinals for one season in
1973. While many teams had overlooked Walker because
of his handicap, Broncos’ coach Dan Reeves was willing
to take a chance on Nebraska’s star player. As a defensive
linebacker for the Broncos, Walker distinguished
himself with his superior vision, strength, and speed. For
assistance at meetings, practice, and chalkboard talks,
Walker hired an interpreter. He read quarterback Karl
Mecklenberg’s lips in the huddle, and received defensive
calls via signals from fellow linebackers.
Within a few months Coach Reeves was touting
Walker as one of the best late-round draft choices the
team had made in years. Said Reeves to Tom Farley of
the Seattle Times: “Whether it’s in the near future or
next year, I don’t think there is any question [Walker]
Career Statistics
Walker
Yr Team GP Sack Int TD
1991 DEN 16 3.0 0 0
1992 DEN 15 1.5 0 0
TOTAL 31 4.5 0 0
DEN: Denver Broncos.
will end up being a starting defensive end for us.” However,
Reeves did not follow through on this promise.
After playing with the Broncos for two seasons, Walker—who
had been named the NFL’s Most Inspirational
player—was cut from the team in August 1993.
Although the Broncos had suggested that Walker’s
deafness was a liability, the Canadian Football League
was willing to give the talented player a chance. He
joined the Calgary Stampeders as a starting linebacker
in July 1994, becoming the CFL’s first deaf player in
history. As a starting linebacker, Walker proved his mettle
and once earned the distinction of “defensive player
of the week.” “[Walker] really wanted to play football,
and mentally he had a sense of relief because [Calgary]
didn’t want him to carry a lot of weight like the Denver
Broncos did,” Walker’s wife, Marti, told Brian Lahm of
the Omaha World Herald. Although he enjoyed playing
for the Stampeders, Walker told the press that he would
take advantage of any future opportunities to come back
to the NFL and play in his home country. Such an opportunity
did not present itself, however. Walker played
with the Stampeders for two seasons, leaving in 1995.
The same year, the Associated Press reported that
Walker had sued the Denver Broncos for misrepresenting
his disability to other NFL teams. The suit
also claimed that the Broncos had violated the Americans
with Disabilities Act. “Despite proving beyond
question that a deaf person could play professional
football in the NFL,” stated the lawsuit, “the Broncos
falsely represented to other NFL teams that Walker’s
handicap … created an undue hardship.” The Broncos’
general manager, John Beake, told the Associated
Press that the team was prepared to counter the case in
court. The press did not follow up on the outcome of
the case, however.
Retired from football, Walker pursued another
dream: teaching and coaching deaf children. Returning
to the United States to be with his family, he took a job
coaching football at the Iowa School for the Deaf in
Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1999 he published his autobiography,
Roar of Silence: The Kenny Walker Story, cowritten
with Bob Schaller. Valued for his contribution to
football history, Walker remains a hero and role model
among the hearing-impaired and at large.
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