One of the most prolific punt returners in West Virginia University football history has died.

 

Fulton Walker, who became the first player in Super Bowl history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, passed away suddenly Wednesday in Martinsburg, West Virginia, the Martinsburg Journal first reported.

 

Walker was an all-state performer at Martinsburg High in 1976 who rushed for 1,172 yards and established a state record with 15 interceptions during his senior season.

 

Walker and South Charleston’s Robert Alexander were the state’s two best college prospects that year and both ended up going to West Virginia University to play for coach Frank Cignetti.

 

Walker began his collegiate career at running back and finished second on the team in rushing in 1978 as a sophomore with 392 yards and two touchdowns.

 

He switched to defense during his junior year in 1979 and remained there in 1980 when Don Nehlen took over the program. Walker produced 86 tackles, four tackles for losses and two interceptions during his senior year - his only season playing for Nehlen.

 

“My philosophy is you win championships with defense so you put your good players on defense, and Fulton Walker was one of our best players,” Nehlen said.

 

But it was as a punt returner where Walker put his name in the school record books, his 88-yard runback for a touchdown against Boston College on October 15, 1977 tied John Mallory for the second-longest in school history.

 

Walker also returned punts for touchdowns against Virginia Tech in 1979 and Richmond in 1980, making him one of just three players in school history to return three or more punts for scores during their careers.

 

His 675 career punt return yards still rank fourth in school history.

 

“You have certain guys on your football team that really enjoy the game - it doesn’t matter if it’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday, they like to play and Fulton was one of those guys,” Nehlen said. “You’d go out there on Tuesday and he was grinning and then on Wednesday he was grinning. He was very popular on our football team.”

 

Walker played six years in the NFL, four with the Miami Dolphins and two with the Los Angeles Raiders, with his best season coming in 1983 when he led the NFL with a 26.7 kickoff return average to earn Pro Football Weekly and Sporting News All-NFL honors.

 

Walker also led the league in punt return yardage in 1985 while splitting the season between Miami and Los Angeles.

 

His biggest moment in professional football came in Super Bowl XVII when he returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in Miami’s 27-17 loss to Washington.

 

 

Walker played his final season in the NFL with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986.

 

Walker returned to his native Martinsburg where he remained active in the community and also stayed involved with his alma mater, frequently returning to Morgantown for University events and functions.

 

“He was a proud Mountaineer,” Nehlen said. “He was a West Virginia guy and he had a little bit of that Gold and Blue in his blood. I just loved Fulton Walker. He was a joy to coach, a fun guy to be around and I would have loved to have been able to coach him a few more years.”

 

Walker was 58.