Former Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker officially retires from the NFL
Former Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl tight end Delanie Walker officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Tuesday at Nissan Stadium.
Walker spent his first seven seasons (2006-12) with the San Francisco 49ers and his final seven (2013-19) with the Titans, where he became one of the league's top tight ends.
"The coaches and the staff here (in 2013) believed in me," said Walker, who felt he never reached his potential in San Francisco. "They said, 'It's all up to you. You have the chance to be great. You've just got to take it and run with it.' I looked at that as an opportunity. I knew what I could do in this league. I just needed the opportunity."
In his seven years in San Francisco, Walker had 123 catches for 1,465 yards and eight touchdowns. In the same number of years with the Titans, his numbers skyrocketed: He had 381 catches for 4,423 yards and 28 touchdowns.
"That's why I'm here to retire because I feel like all my best years in football started here in Tennessee," Walker said.
Walker was a Pro Bowl selection in 2015, '16 and '17, a four-time Titans captain and he was twice (2013, 2015) selected as a team’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee.
He finished his career second on the Titans' all-time receptions list by a tight end (381) behind Frank Wycheck.
“I want to congratulate Delanie on a fantastic NFL career,” Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said.
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“His impact on our team and in our community is undoubtedly one to be celebrated and set a standard for others. Very few players can say they were a four-time captain, went to three Pro Bowls and won the Community Man of the Year Award twice. He was a true professional in everything he did and was one of the key players who helped our organization reach the level of success that we have sustained for several years now."
In his first five seasons with the Titans, Walker had at least 60 receptions each season, including a career-best 94 for a career-high 1,088 yards in 2015. He also had the franchise’s second-longest streak of consecutive games with a reception (83 games from 2013-19).
Walker was just as proud of his efforts in the community throughout his career.
Along with being a two-time Walter Peyton Man of the Year nominee, Walker's involvement off the field included being a finalist for the NFL’s Byron “Whizzer” White Award in 2015. Also, the Delanie Walker Gives Back Foundation provides inner-city and low-income children with educational opportunities and resources.
Walker is also involved with the local MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) chapter.
"A lot of the stuff that I did off the field was just because of how much I care for the city," Walker said. "I grew up in a single-parent household and I had the means to give back and show kids they can be whoever they want to be; you don't have to feel like you're trapped in a box."
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Former Tennessee Titans TE Delanie Walker announces retirement
