All Time / Most Notable Walk-Ons

[Cat In The Cradle]

Another recruit from an impressive high school program committed to the Wildcats per a poster on the Rock. We have had very significant contributions of walk-ons in the past, many of whom later earned scholarships, others who helped prepare the team on the practice field and otherwise received a world class education. This begs the question: what players, current or former, would you place on the all time top ten list?

 

[NJCat83588]

Barry Gardner has to be #1.

 

[EvanstonCat]

I'm a HUGE Barry Gardner fan, but it would be very hard to beat Otto Graham in my humble opinion.

 

[Well cataloged]

Can we count Otto Graham as a walk-on? I believe he came to NU on a basketball scholarship and was playing intramural football when he was spotted throwing pinpoint bombs in a game. He was then wooed onto the football team and proceeded to become an All-American quarterback.

 

[Turk]

zeke

Jeff budzien i think initually.

Grant and bartles were multiple year starters as walkons. Brian heinz.

But i gotta go with zeke. He was perhaps one of the top 3 or 4 that got us to the gator bowl.

Didnt he break some records here?

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Re: zeke

Originally posted by Turk:
Jeff budzien i think initually. Budzien was always on scholarship.

Grant and bartles were multiple year starters as walkons. Brian heinz.

But i gotta go with zeke. He was perhaps one of the top 3 or 4 that got us to the gator bowl.

Didnt he break some records here? Nope. Close, but not quite.

 

[gocatsgo2003]

Originally posted by EvanstonCat:
I'm a HUGE Barry Gardner fan, but it would be very hard to beat Otto Graham in my humble opinion.

While technically true, Graham would have been a "counter" for the football team under today's rules.

 

[Gladeskat]

Rob and Randy Dean***

nm

 

[GreenBayCat]

Salvatore Valenzisi

We don't go to Pasadena without him. Just ask Lou Holtz.

 

[elgatoloco]

Only one choice here

Kickers don't count because a lot of kickers are walk-ons.

It's Gardner. Started, what, three years? One of the all-time leaders in tackles, first team All Big 10 two times.

Why is this even disputed?

 

[RevCat]

Re: Rob and Randy Dean***


And just think if we had Men's Handball.

 

[RevCat]

I did not know this. Other sport scholarships count? Makes a certain sort of sense.