Former Dolphins kick returner Fulton Walker passes away

The Miami Dolphins lost a member of the family on Thursday with the announcement that former kick returner Fulton Walker passed away. According to the Dolphins, Walker died from an apparent heart attack. He was 58.

Walker is the first player in Super Bowl history to return a kickoff for a touchdown, scoring from 98-yards away in Super Bowl XVII following the 1982 season. Miami lost the game 27-17 to the Washington Redskins. Fulton’s touchdown is now tied for the third longest return in Super Bowl history.

The Dolphins drafted Walker in the sixth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He played five years for Miami, tallying 34 punts returns for a 9.0 yards per return average and 123 kickoff returns for 23.9 yards per return with one touchdown. He played his last two years with the Oakland Raiders, where he added 111 punt returnf for a 10.2 yards per return average with a touchdown and 44 kickoff returns for 19.0 yards per return.

He had an additional 10 career playoff appearances, returning 12 punts for 8.3 yards per return and 29 kickoffs for 23.3 yards and the one touchdown.

Walker passed away in his hometown of Martinsburg, West Virginia. He played college football at West Virginia.