I realize not many here will know who Jackie Walker is. He was one of the best linebackers to suit up for the University of Tennessee. He was a dominating force on the football field. They talk about a hit he made 40 years ago in high school to this day. The guy he hit had to have the helmet cut from his head. He was All-SEC, he was the first African-American captain at Tennessee in 1971. He was undeniably one of the best athletes in our state's history. He was also gay.
Walker had been essentially blackballed from both the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame because of his sexual orientation. It took a concerted effort by former teammates and coaches, most prominently former teammate and former Tennessee head coach Phil Fulmer and former teammate Tim Priest to finally get him the recognition he so richly deserved. In 2008, he was inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame and on February 11 of this year, he will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
Unfortunately he will not be there to attend the induction. Walker died in 2002 of AIDS complications. While it is a shame Jackie isn't around to enjoy the accolades that are way overdue in coming to him, it shows that even here in one of the reddest of red states we are slowly making progress. While Tennessee isn't going to be legalizing gay marriage anytime soon, this small gesture for a man that played 40 years ago shows shows there is hope.