Donte Walker, a former Mississippi State Bulldogs running back who appeared in more than 40 games for the team from 1999 to 2002, has died, the school announced Saturday. He was 44 years old.
Mississippi State University released a statement to X saying, “The Mississippi State University family mourns the passing of Donte Walker. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and teammates.”
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mississippi state bulldogs (Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Walker started for the Bulldogs in 1999 and had a solid freshman season, rushing for 384 yards and three touchdowns. He broke out in 2000 and 2001, running for over 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns over those seasons. He also played in the 2000 Independence Bowl, known as the “Snow Bowl.”
However, Walker's tenure at Mississippi State came to a rocky end in 2002, when he appeared in just eight games and was cut from the team before the year was over. In his final college game, Walker was booed by fans when he heard his name. Then he walked to the locker room.
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he said this Clarion-Ledger In 2013, he wished he could have blocked out the noise then.
“The cheers were louder than the boos, but I couldn't stand hearing the boos,” he told the paper. “I did a lot for Mississippi State, winning bowl games and helping recruit players at Mississippi State. It hurt, but I learned from it. .”
He finished his career with 1,875 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns.
Walker's life off the field was derailed in 2005 when he was arrested for marijuana and cocaine possession. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison, but was released in 2009.
Walker was playing for the Birmingham Steeldogs of the Arena Football League at the time of his arrest.
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Although he never had a chance to play in the NFL, he earned a bachelor's degree from Belhaven University in 2013.
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