Bradley Walker

Bradley Walker
Photo courtesy of HathiTrust
Born(1877-10-14)October 14, 1877
DiedFebruary 3, 1951(1951-02-03) (aged 73)
Resting placeMount Olivet Cemetery
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Nashville (A. B.)
University of Virginia (LL.B.)
OccupationAttorney
Political partyDemocrat
SpouseEthel Mathews
College football career
Virginia Cavaliers
PositionFullback/Tackle
Class1902
Personal information
Height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight198 lb (90 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolColumbia
Career highlights and awards
Signature

Bradley Walker (October 14, 1877 – February 3, 1951) was a Nashville attorney who, in his youth, was found to be naturally proficient at virtually any sport he tried, including football, baseball, track, boxing, tennis and golf— in all these sports he either set records or won championships or awards.

Walker was best known for his college football performance, playing for the University of Nashville in 1896 and 1897, and the Virginia Cavaliers in 1900 and 1901. He was named to an "All-Southern" team in 1900. He also set records at Virginia in baseball for the highest batting average over a two-year period.

The Palm of Alpha Tau Omega called Walker "one of the all-time greats in Southern athletic history." Describing Walker's football ability, celebrated coach John Heisman said, "he was undoubtedly one of the twenty-five best men that Dixieland ever saw".

When Walker moved to Nashville to practice law in 1903, he kept his interest in football and officiated football games, including major collegiate games, for 25 years. He was also president of the owners of the Nashville Vols baseball team for two years. He was the first president of the Nashville Tennis Club and won the local championship several times. He was the boxing champion of Nashville in 1899. Walker also won the Tennessee State Amateur Golf Championship, and won his local club championship six times, during which he became a friend and confidante of sportswriter Grantland Rice who had just begun playing the game.