Ex-Raider Javon Walker: “I offered to give [money] back.”
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was interviewed on a web site called Thefootballgirl.com and had some interesting comments about his days in Silver & Black.
Here are some comments from that session.
About landing in Oakland:
“I was in an unfortunate situation in Oakland where I got put on the backburner… A lot of people know that situation when you go to Oakland so it’s not to no surprise. It wasn’t the right situation for me. . . When I was in Denver I performed. I was in Green Bay I performed, so now you’re trying to tell me that now I’m in Oakland I can’t perform? I never really got a fair chance. I’m not the first athlete who went into Oakland and all of a sudden it looked like his talents have disappeared. We can all remember, you know I’m a huge fan, with Randy Moss. People thought Randy Moss was done and look what happens when he decides to leave.”
Not playing and contract:
“It wasn’t my fault because obviously the Raiders gave it to me. Everybody knows how Al Davis is. What fans don’t realize is when I signed that contract I offered to give it back. I don’t take money just to take it. People need to give the money back and they said no. I didn’t go into Oakland like [Bernie] Madoff. Somebody has got to give it to you, and they gave it to me. Last year, they didn’t put me on the field so if anybody “made-off” it was Oakland. . . People were wondering why I wasn’t dressing, well you know what, I couldn’t tell you. They just decided not to utilize my talent the way it needed to be utilized.”
Playing future:
“Yes, the thing about football right now is it’s not really about the money. Even when I went to Oakland, I said I’d give that money back. I just want to play football and utilize my talent to help a team win the Super Bowl and everything else will take care of itself.”
