Erik Walden

Walden with the Dolphins in 2009

No. 93 Indianapolis Colts

Position:

Linebacker

Personal information

Date of birth:

August 21, 1985

Place of birth:

Dublin, Georgia

Height:

6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)

Weight:

250 lb (113 kg)

Career information

High school:

Dublin (GA)

College:

Middle Tennessee State

NFL draft:

2008 / Round: 6 / Pick: 167

Career history

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Roster status:

Active

Career highlights and awards

2× All-Sun Belt (2006, 2007)
Super Bowl Champion (XLV)
NFC Champion (2010)
NFC Defensive Player of the Week (2010)

Career NFL statistics as of Week 17, 2015

Tackles:	271
Sacks:	21.0
Interceptions:	2
Forced fumbles:	4
Total touchdowns:	0
Player stats at NFL.com

Player stats at PFR

Erik Lashawn Walden (born August 21, 1985) is an American football linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State. He has also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers.

Early years

Walden attended Dublin High School where he practiced football, basketball, and track. In football he played as a running back and defensive end. In basketball he received All-state honors as a junior and senior.

He moved on to Middle Tennessee State University and became a four-year starter at defensive end. As a junior he was an All-Sun Belt Conference selection. Against Central Michigan in the 2006 Motor City Bowl he led his team with six tackles and two quarterback sacks.^[1]

Walden was injured most of his senior season, which limited his effectiveness, but was still named All-Sun Belt, after finishing second in conference history in career sacks. He ended his college career after playing in 44 games (34 starts) with 152 tackles (40 for loss), 22.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 4 passes defensed and one interception. He owns the school's career (22.5) and season (11.5) sack records.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Walden was selected in the sixth round (167th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.^[2] He was waived on August 30 during final cuts.

Kansas City Chiefs

A day after being let go by the Cowboys, hoping he would clear waivers and enabling them to sign him to their practice squad, he was claimed off waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs on August 31, 2008. After playing in 9 games and registering 10 special teams tackles, he was released on November 18.

Miami Dolphins

He was claimed off waivers by the Miami Dolphins on November 20, 2008. He played in 6 games and recorded 5 special teams tackles. The next year he was inactive for 5 games and finished with 8 special teams tackles. He was waived on September 9, 2010.

Green Bay Packers

Walden was signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers on October 27, 2010, because they were experiencing several injuries on the defensive side. In just his second career start he had a breakout game and was named NFC Defensive Player of the week, after playing against the Chicago Bears, while leading the team with 16 tackles and 2 sacks.^[3] He was declared inactive in Super Bowl XLV because of an ankle injury.

In 2011, he became a full-time starter (15 starts) for the first time in his career and posted 86 tackles (50 solo), 3 sacks, 2 passes defensed and a fumble recovery that he returned for his first career touchdown. The next year his starts were reduced to 9 games after the Packers drafted Nick Perry. He finished with 69 tackles (38 solo), 3 sacks, 4 passes defensed and his first 2 career interceptions.

Indianapolis Colts

Walden signed with the Indianapolis Colts on March 12, 2013.^[4] The contract was for four years, $16 million ($8 million guaranteed).^[5] In week eleven against the Tennessee Titans, he pulled Delanie Walker's helmet off and head-butted him, which resulted in a penalty for unnecessary roughness and a one-game suspension.^[6] He finished the season with 15 starts, 58 tackles (33 solo), 3 sacks, 3 passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

In 2014, Walden set a career-high in sacks with 6, while also recording 57 tackles (40 solo) and one forced fumble in 15 games (14 starts). The next year he started 15 games, posting 3 sacks and one forced fumble.

Personal life

Walden has two children with an ex-girlfriend, Erica Palmer.^[7] On November 25, 2011, he was arrested for an alleged physical altercation that sent Palmer to the hospital. Police stated they had enough evidence to hold him under felony charges through Monday, as his case could not be processed over the Thanksgiving weekend.^[8] Charges were later dropped, and Walden was not suspended by the league.^[9]

On March 19, 2015, it was reported that Walden and an unnamed female companion had been attacked by Palmer. She allegedly confronted Walden at his Braselton, Georgia home with a gun and a baseball bat, and while he was able to take the gun from her, Palmer used the bat to break the arm of the unnamed woman. Palmer then fled, but returned to attack Walden, slashing his arm with a knife. Palmer was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, family violence aggravated assault, theft by taking, and first-degree burglary.^[7]^[10]

References

↑ "Erik Walden Bio". GoBlueRaiders.com. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
↑ "Erik Walden Signed Contract". Dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on 2008-08-04. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
↑ "LB Walden Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
↑ Colts sign former Packers OLB Erik Walden
↑ "NFL Free Agency: Best, worst contracts from Week 1" SportsIllustrated.com. Retrieved 2013-Mar-18.
↑ Hanzus, Dan (November 18, 2013). "Report: Erik Walden suspended a game for head-butt". National Football League. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
1 2 Florio, Mike. "Erik Walden allegedly slashed by ex-girlfriend". March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
↑ "Reports: Packers' Erik Walden jailed". espn.go.com. November 26, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
↑ "Packers re-sign LB Walden". chicagotribune.com. March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.
↑ "Colts' Erik Walden, girlfriend allegedly attacked in Georgia by his ex". indystar.com. March 19, 2015. Retrieved March 19, 2015.

External links

Indianapolis Colts current roster

Active roster	1 Pat McAfee 2 MeKale McKay 3 Chester Rogers 4 Adam Vinatieri 5 Tevaun Smith 6 Daniel Anthrop 7 Stephen Morris 8 Marcus Leak 10 Donte Moncrief 11 Quan Bray 12 Andrew Luck 13 T. Y. Hilton 14 Josh Stangby 15 Phillip Dorsett 16 Scott Tolzien 17 Josh Boyce 20 Darius Butler 21 Vontae Davis 23 Frank Gore 25 Patrick Robinson 26 Clayton Geathers 27 Winston Guy 28 Jordan Todman 29 Mike Adams 30 D'Joun Smith 31 Jalil Brown 32 T.J. Green 33 Robert Turbin 34 Daniel Davie 34 Josh Rerguson 35 Akeem Davis 36 Andrew Williamson 37 Darius White 38 Tyler Varga 39 Tay Glover-Wright 40 Christopher Milton 40 Trey Williams 41 Dezmen Southward 42 Stefan McClure 43 Tevin Mitchel 44 Antonio Morrison 45 Matt Overton 47 Ron Thompson 48 Junior Sylvestre 49 Amarlo Herrera 49 Mike Miller 50 Trevor Bates 51 Sio Moore 52 D'Qwell Jackson 53 Edwin Jackson 54 David Parry 55 Nate Irving 57 Josh McNary 58 Trent Cole 59 Anthony Sarao 60 Isiah Cage 61 Adam Redmond 62 Sterling Bailey 62 Davante Harris 63 Austin Blythe 64 Kelcy Quarles 65 Kitt O'Brien 65 DeIvon Simmons 66 Kevin Graf 68 Ricky Lumpkin 69 Hugh Thornton 71 Denzelle Good 72 Jonotthan Harrison 73 Joe Haeg 74 Anthony Castonzo 75 Jack Mewhort 76 Joe Reitz 78 Ryan Kelly 79 Le'Raven Clark 80 Mike McFarland 81 Brian Tyms 83 Dwayne Allen 84 Jack Doyle 85 Cameron Clear 86 Erik Swoope 90 Kendall Langford 91 Hassan Ridgeway 92 Curt Maggitt 93 Erik Walden 94 Zach Kerr 95 Earl Okine 96 Henry Anderson 97 Arthur Jones 98 Robert Mathis 99 T.Y. McGill

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Head Coach: Mike McCarthy

Coaches: Edgar Bennett James Campen Dom Capers Tom Clements Jerry Fontenot Kevin Greene Thadeus Jackson Mark Lovat Ben McAdoo Scott McCurley Chad Morton Winston Moss Darren Perry Joe Philbin Dave Redding Jimmy Robinson John Rushing Shawn Slocum Mike Trgovac Joe Whitt, Jr.

Dallas Cowboys 2008 NFL draft selections

Felix Jones Mike Jenkins Martellus Bennett Tashard Choice Orlando Scandrick Erik Walden

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