Dontae Walker, a former Mississippi State Bulldogs running back who played in more than 40 games for the team from 1999 to 2002, has died, the school announced Saturday. He was 44.
Mississippi State put out a statement on X: "The Mississippi State Family mourns the passing of Dontae Walker. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and teammates."
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Walker got his start with the Bulldogs in 1999 and put together a solid freshman season, running for 384 yards and three touchdowns. He really broke out in 2000 and 2001 as he ran for more than 1,200 yards with 14 touchdowns over the course of those seasons. He also played in the 2000 Independence Bowl, known as "The Snow Bowl."
However, Walker’s tenure with Mississippi State came to a tumultuous end as he only appeared in eight games in 2002 and was cut from the team before the year was over. In the final game of his collegiate career, Walker heard boos from the fans when he heard his name. He then walked to the locker room.
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He told the Clarion-Ledger in 2013 he wished he would have blocked out the noise at that time.
"There was more cheering than booing, but when I heard that booing, I couldn’t take it," he told the newspaper. "I did a lot for Mississippi State with winning bowl games and helping recruit players there. It was a hurting feeling. But I learned from it."
He finished his career with 1,875 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns in his career.
Walker’s life off the field was derailed when he was arrested for marijuana and cocaine possession in 2005. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison but was released in 2009.
Walker was playing for the Birmingham Steeldogs of the Arena Football League at the time of his arrest.
He never got a chance to play in the NFL, but he earned a bachelor’s degree from Belhaven University in 2013.
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