He won the Maxwell Award in 1947, won the Heisman in 1948, and was named Player of the Year by Collier's Magazine in 1949. Doak Walker found the doors to be open wide to welcome him into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. Doak, after college, joined the Detroit Lions and spent six productive seasons with the franchise.

In fact, according to the ProFootballHOF.com site, he did almost everything for the Lions as he passed, ran returned punts and kicks, but he also performed the punting and place kicks for the team as well. Walker was selected as All-NFL in 5 of his six seasons played in the League. Doak Walker was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.