Height 1.91 m Weight 109 kg | Name Michael Walter Positions Linebacker | |
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Date of birth: (1960-11-30) November 30, 1960 (age 55) NFL draft: 1983 / Round: 2 / Pick: 50 Profiles | ||
Michael David Walter (born November 30, 1960) is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League for eleven seasons for the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Oregon.
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Early years
Walter attended Sheldon High School (Eugene, Oregon), where he focused on basketball, playing just one year of football. He attended the University of Oregon where he was used as a linebacker, before being moved to defensive end as a sophomore. As a senior, he was the team captain for the 1982 season and also played in the east East–West Shrine Game.
Dallas Cowboys
Walter was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (50th overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft, with the intention of converting him to an outside linebacker. In his new position he struggled covering the pass, so he wasn't used often. The next year, he was waived at the end of training camp, after the Cowboys drafted four linebackers in the 1984 NFL Draft.
San Francisco 49ers
On August 28, 1984, he was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers who moved him to inside linebacker, as the backup of Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.
In 1985, he became a starter, showing the versatility to play three downs and also special teams. He would go on to have a 10-year career with the 49ers, while leading the team in tackles in three consecutive seasons: 1987 (94), 1988 (97) and 1989 (103).
Walter retired at the end of the 1993 season, after winning three Super Bowls and playing 11 years in the NFL.
Personal life
After football, he worked at Oak Tree Insurance. He has two daughters -- a doctor and a business development executive.