Andrew Walter
Encyclopedia
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football
quarterback
in National Football League
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
after playing college football
at Arizona State
.
He was also a member of the New England Patriots
.
in Grand Junction, Colorado
, where he was an all-conference selection as a junior and senior and a USA Today
honorable mention All-American.
saw limited playing time behind sophomore starter Jeff Krohn, including reserve duty in a losing effort against the University of Oregon
. After a 4–7 record under new head coach Dirk Koetter
and only one win in the Pacific 10 Conference, Krohn transferred out of ASU following the season.
In September 2002 the Sun Devils fell behind the San Diego State University
Aztecs 22-0. Christiansen was largely ineffective and was replaced by Walter. Walter entered the game with a protective boot due to an injury he sustained during the previous week of practice. The injury did not prove to be a factor as Walter connected with wide receiver
Shaun McDonald
for an 72-yard touchdown pass on his first play from scrimmage. Walter's second pass from scrimmage also ended up as a touchdown. ASU came back to beat the Aztecs in the largest come-from-behind win in ASU history.
Later in the season, ASU put together an impressive win streak, and beat #6 Oregon at Autzen Stadium
in Eugene, Oregon
, where the Ducks had lost only one game at Autzen over the previous four seasons. After falling behind 21-0 in the second quarter, Walter led the Sun Devils to a 45-42 upset win over the Ducks, breaking a Pac-10 single game record for passing with 536 yards.
ASU ended the regular season with an 8-5 record and nearly upset the Kansas State Wildcats
, who were favored by 17 points over the Devils, in the 2002 Holiday Bowl
. Although ASU narrowly lost the contest 34-27 (relinquishing the lead only once, in the closing minute of the game), Walter achieved the ASU single season passing record with 3,877 yards.
and Utah State University
. The Sun Devils suffered their first loss at the University of Iowa
, losing 21-2 to the Hawkeyes. Despite the Sun Devils achieving a paltry 5-7 record (2-6 in the Pac-10), Walter still threw for 3,044 yards, including the game winning touchdown against North Carolina
as time expired. Walter also earned the Territorial Cup
MVP when ASU beat their arch-rivals the University of Arizona
at Sun Devil Stadium
. At the end of the 2003 season, Walter decided to forego his opportunity to jump into the NFL and decided to stay at Arizona State for his last year of eligibility.
. Walter also surpassed practically every ASU quarterback in every statistic. Walter also surpassed NFL legend John Elway
as the Pac-10's all time touchdown leader. During the 2004 season, Walter helped the Devils defeat #15 Iowa
44-7. His low point of the season came when Walter went down in the fourth quarter during the regular season finale against Arizona
and suffered a third degree shoulder separation, forcing him to miss the Sun Devils' post-season Sun Bowl game (a 27-23 victory over Purdue
).
in the third round (69th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
. Walter spent his 2005 rookie season as the third string quarterback for the Raiders behind Kerry Collins
and backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo
. Walter played in only two preseason games because of a groin injury, one that eventually required surgery at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
Entering the 2006 season, Walter was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position with Tuiasosopo and Aaron Brooks. After a poor performance by Brooks in Week 1, Walter replaced him late in the game. The next week, Walter once again replaced Brooks due to poor performance including two fumbled snaps. Following the announcement that Brooks would miss 2–4 weeks with an injured pectoral muscle, Walter started the Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns
. On October 22, he led the Raiders to their first win of the year, defeating the Arizona Cardinals
. However, Brooks returned in November and re-took the starting quarterback job from Walter, who would only start one more game in 2006. After the season, the Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell
with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
. Walter would begin the season as the Raiders' third quarterback, with veterans Daunte Culpepper
and Josh McCown
seeing time over Walter, who was only active for one game in 2007. He finished the season with just five pass attempts.
With Russell taking the starting job in 2008, Walter continued to serve as the Raiders' third quarterback. He was active for just two games in 2008, starting one but posting only a 43.8 completion percentage. Walter was released by the Raiders on July 30, 2009, finishing his Oakland career with a 52.3 completion percentage.
in August 2009 after the team waived quarterback Matt Gutierrez
. He was released on September 4.
, John F. Goodman
, Jake Plummer
, and Jeff van Raaphorst.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
after playing college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
.
He was also a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Early years
Walter attended Grand Junction High SchoolGrand Junction High School
Grand Junction High School is a high school located in Grand Junction, Colorado. It is part of the Mesa County Valley School District 51.As of 2006, the student-teacher ratio is about 19:1 -Athletics:...
in Grand Junction, Colorado
Grand Junction, Colorado
The City of Grand Junction is the largest city in western Colorado. It is a city with a council–manager government form that is the county seat and the most populous city of Mesa County, Colorado, United States. Grand Junction is situated west-southwest of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. As...
, where he was an all-conference selection as a junior and senior and a USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
honorable mention All-American.
2001 season
Walter's redshirt freshman season at Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
saw limited playing time behind sophomore starter Jeff Krohn, including reserve duty in a losing effort against the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
. After a 4–7 record under new head coach Dirk Koetter
Dirk Koetter
-NFL drafted players under Koetter:-External links:* *...
and only one win in the Pacific 10 Conference, Krohn transferred out of ASU following the season.
2002 season
With an opening at quarterback, Walter seemed to be the favorite going in to the season to start. This turned out not to be the case, however, when Walter was kept as the backup after redshirt freshman, Chad Christiansen, had impressive spring and fall practices.In September 2002 the Sun Devils fell behind the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
Aztecs 22-0. Christiansen was largely ineffective and was replaced by Walter. Walter entered the game with a protective boot due to an injury he sustained during the previous week of practice. The injury did not prove to be a factor as Walter connected with wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Shaun McDonald
Shaun McDonald
Shaun Terrance McDonald is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fourth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
for an 72-yard touchdown pass on his first play from scrimmage. Walter's second pass from scrimmage also ended up as a touchdown. ASU came back to beat the Aztecs in the largest come-from-behind win in ASU history.
Later in the season, ASU put together an impressive win streak, and beat #6 Oregon at Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, where the Ducks had lost only one game at Autzen over the previous four seasons. After falling behind 21-0 in the second quarter, Walter led the Sun Devils to a 45-42 upset win over the Ducks, breaking a Pac-10 single game record for passing with 536 yards.
ASU ended the regular season with an 8-5 record and nearly upset the Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
, who were favored by 17 points over the Devils, in the 2002 Holiday Bowl
Holiday Bowl
The Holiday Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that has been played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California, since 1978. Beginning with the 2010 playing the bowl will officially be known as the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl after...
. Although ASU narrowly lost the contest 34-27 (relinquishing the lead only once, in the closing minute of the game), Walter achieved the ASU single season passing record with 3,877 yards.
2003 season
2003 was marked as a disappointing season for Walter and the Sun Devils. ASU started the season ranked at #15 but put up disappointing performances against traditionally weaker opponents Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
and Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
. The Sun Devils suffered their first loss at the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, losing 21-2 to the Hawkeyes. Despite the Sun Devils achieving a paltry 5-7 record (2-6 in the Pac-10), Walter still threw for 3,044 yards, including the game winning touchdown against North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
as time expired. Walter also earned the Territorial Cup
Territorial Cup
The Territorial Cup is a trophy that is awarded to the winner of an American college football rivalry game, commonly referred to as "The Duel in the Desert," played annually between the Arizona State Sun Devils football team of Arizona State University and the Arizona Wildcats football team of the...
MVP when ASU beat their arch-rivals the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
at Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium
Sun Devil Stadium is an outdoor football stadium, located on the campus of Arizona State University, in Tempe, Arizona, United States. The stadium's current seating capacity is 71,706 and the playing surface is natural grass...
. At the end of the 2003 season, Walter decided to forego his opportunity to jump into the NFL and decided to stay at Arizona State for his last year of eligibility.
2004 season
Walter's senior campaign featured a number of highs and lows. Walter lead the Sun Devils to a comeback year where the Devils piled up an 8-3 record and clinched a berth in the Vitalis Sun BowlSun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
. Walter also surpassed practically every ASU quarterback in every statistic. Walter also surpassed NFL legend John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
as the Pac-10's all time touchdown leader. During the 2004 season, Walter helped the Devils defeat #15 Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes are the athletics teams that represent the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. The Hawkeyes have varsity teams in 24 sports, 11 for men and 13 for women. The teams participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and are members of the...
44-7. His low point of the season came when Walter went down in the fourth quarter during the regular season finale against Arizona
Arizona Wildcats
-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
and suffered a third degree shoulder separation, forcing him to miss the Sun Devils' post-season Sun Bowl game (a 27-23 victory over Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers
Boilermakers is the official nickname for the intercollegiate athletic teams of Purdue University. As is common with athletic nicknames, it is also used as colloquial designation of Purdue's students and alumni at large....
).
Oakland Raiders
Walter was selected by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round (69th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
. Walter spent his 2005 rookie season as the third string quarterback for the Raiders behind Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
and backup quarterback Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tuiasosopo
Marques Tavita Tuiasosopo is a former American football quarterback who is currently a strength coach for the University of Washington football team. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders...
. Walter played in only two preseason games because of a groin injury, one that eventually required surgery at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
Entering the 2006 season, Walter was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position with Tuiasosopo and Aaron Brooks. After a poor performance by Brooks in Week 1, Walter replaced him late in the game. The next week, Walter once again replaced Brooks due to poor performance including two fumbled snaps. Following the announcement that Brooks would miss 2–4 weeks with an injured pectoral muscle, Walter started the Week 4 game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On October 22, he led the Raiders to their first win of the year, defeating the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, Brooks returned in November and re-took the starting quarterback job from Walter, who would only start one more game in 2006. After the season, the Raiders drafted JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
with the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. Walter would begin the season as the Raiders' third quarterback, with veterans Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
and Josh McCown
Josh McCown
Joshua Treadwell McCown is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sam Houston State.McCown has played for the Detroit Lions, Oakland...
seeing time over Walter, who was only active for one game in 2007. He finished the season with just five pass attempts.
With Russell taking the starting job in 2008, Walter continued to serve as the Raiders' third quarterback. He was active for just two games in 2008, starting one but posting only a 43.8 completion percentage. Walter was released by the Raiders on July 30, 2009, finishing his Oakland career with a 52.3 completion percentage.
New England Patriots
Walter was signed by the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in August 2009 after the team waived quarterback Matt Gutierrez
Matt Gutierrez
Matthew Paul Gutierrez is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
. He was released on September 4.
Recent Honors
On October 29, 2010, Walter was honored, along with all Sun Devil Quarterbacks, at a Legends Luncheon hosted by the Arizona State University Alumni Association and Sun Devil Club. Other honorees included Danny WhiteDanny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
, John F. Goodman
John F. Goodman
Lieutenant General John Floyd Goodman is a retired United States Marine Corps general. He is currently Director of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance , United States Pacific Command having assumed the directorship on October 17, 2008.-Early life:John...
, Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
, and Jeff van Raaphorst.