James J. 'Jim' Walker        

HIGH SCHOOL: James J. 'Jim' Walker attended Washington High School and lived in or near South Bend, Indiana. He was named first team All-Twin City, All-Northern Indiana Conference and All-State at Left Tackle in 1937. He was named captain of the baseball and basketball teams in 1937 and 1938. Despite his accomplishments, his hometown school, Notre Dame, did not recruit him because he was an African-American, so he went to Iowa City where he was welcomed.

COLLEGE: He was one of the famed "Ironmen" that played all 60 minutes of each game. However, in the 1939 season, he suffered a severe knee injury that kept him out of most of the rest of the season. He returned in 1940 to help the Hawkeyes to an upset over the #7 ranked Irish in 1940, earning some revenge for their slight towards him. In 1941, he was named to the Negro All-American Star and All-American Football Teams. He was also a member of the 1942 Chicago Tribune College All-Star team.

PROFESSIONAL: He played professionally for 2 seasons with the Oakland Giants of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League (PCPFL).

OTHER: He was the longtime head football coach at Central State University.for 25 years. He was selected as an assistant coach of the East Team for the Fourth Annual All-Ohio Shrine Bowl. After a 1974 tornado destroyed the Central State campus, a new gymnasium was built and named in honor of him in June of 1978. He was elected into the Indiana football Hall of Fame.

Born 5/13/1918 and died on 10/1/1975 at the age of 57.