Former University of Georgia running back and Heisman Trophy winner, Herschel Walker, joined The Game with Ryan Fowler this week to discuss his support of the military, his views on the upcoming football season and what drove him to speak at the Republican National Convention.

Walker said as a young man he contemplated going into the military and he described how he ended up playing football at Georgia.

"I ended up flipping a coin. I flipped a coin to decide whether to go to the military or go to college, then I flipped a coin to decide my college," said Walker.

Walker said the greatest lesson he learned playing football was the power of working together towards a common goal. He said that his coach at Georgia, Vince Dooley impressed upon him that by working as a team, great things could be accomplished. The Heisman Trophy winning running back said the same is true in our day-to-day lives.

Walker talked about the level of care the athletes at major universities will have this year and expressed his opinion that the athletes would be safer in their football programs than at home.

"Right now my thing is, let the athletes decide what they want to do. If you have one that does not want to play, he doesn't have to play, let him keep his scholarship but he doesn't have to play. The ones that want to play, give them the opportunity to play, don't take that away from them," said Walker.

Walker discussed some of the other projects he's been working on outside of his playing career.

He is involved in the food industry and referred to himself as, "a small little Tyson." He sells his chicken to larger food distribution services but that has been hindered this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Walker attends military bases often through Patriot Support where he helps service men and women by discussing the importance of positive mental health. He touched on his own battles with mental health and said he even spent time in a hospital to address them.

He has been appointed as the Co-Chairmen of the President's Fitness Council and called President Trump a long-time friend. Walker spoke on the president's behalf at the Republican National Convention this week.

Walker pushed back on the common attack that President Trump is a racist.

"Well, I think I'm an African-American, I think i'm a black guy and I've been his friend for 37 years and not one time has the President ever asked me to speak on his behalf and I said, 'President Trump, I want to speak on your behalf, I want people to know the type of guy you really are.' So I'm going to end up doing that," said Walker.

Walker defended his support of President Trump and the United States by saying not to focus on what he's tweeting but what he's doing. Walker highlighted Trump's support of HBCUs and the progress he's made in prison reform.

 

The Game with Ryan Fowler airs each weekday from 2-6 p.m. on Tide 100.9 FM or you can stream it on our free app.

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