Herschel Walker Trade
The Herschel Walker Trade (German Herschel Walker Transfer ; also (based on The Great Train Robbery ) Great Trade Robbery , German big transfer robbery ) is a transfer between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings around the running back Herschel Walker . With 18 players involved or draft picks , it is the largest transfer in the history of the National Football League .
The trade
The swap took place on October 12, 1989. The Vikings received one player and five draft picks, the Cowboys five players and eight draft picks. However, five of these draft picks were conditional. The Cowboys only received these picks if they did not fire any of the received players before February 1st.
| Players / picks to the Minnesota Vikings | Players / picks to the Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|
| Running back Herschel Walker | Linebacker Jesse Solomon |
| Dallas' third round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft (Vikings chose Mike Jones ) | Linebacker David Howard |
| San Diego's fifth round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft (Vikings chose Reggie Thornton ) | Cornerback Issiac Holt |
| Dallas' 10- round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft (Vikings chose Pat Newman ) | Running back Darrin Nelson |
| Dallas' third round pick for the 1991 NFL Draft ( Jake Reed ) | Defensive end Alex Stewart |
| Minnesota's first round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft ( swapped with two other picks to the Pittsburgh Steelers to select Emmitt Smith ) | |
| Minnesota's second round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft ( Alexander Wright ) | |
| Minnesota's six- round pick for the 1990 NFL Draft ( traded to New Orleans , who picked James Williams ) | |
| Minnesota's first round pick for the 1991 NFL Draft (subject to change, Alvin Harper ) | |
| Minnesota's second round pick for the 1991 NFL Draft (subject to change, Dixon Edwards ) | |
| Minnesota's second round pick for the 1992 NFL Draft (subject to change, Darren Woodson ) | |
| Minnesota's third round pick for the 1992 NFL Draft (subject to change, swapped to the New England Patriots , who selected Kevin Turner ) | |
| Minnesota's first round pick for the 1993 NFL Draft (conditionally, swapped to the Philadelphia Eagles , who swapped the pick to the Houston Oilers , who picked Brad Hopkins ) |
aftermath
All five players who swapped the Vikings for the Cowboys were considered better than most of the Cowboys players, but head coach Jimmy Johnson did not use any of the players in the 1989 season , which the Cowboys ended with only one win. After the season, the Cowboys fired Stewart and traded Nelson for a five-round pick with the San Diego Chargers . With the additional draft picks, the Cowboys built a team that led to them winning three Super Bowl titles in four seasons , starting with the 1992 season. Walker played for the Vikings for two and a half seasons, never breaking the 1000 yard mark. He was released prior to the 1992 season. Walker then played with the Philadelphia Eagles , New York Giants and ended his career with a return to the Cowboys.
Individual evidence
- ^ The Trade. National Football League, accessed July 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Steve Wulf: The run that birthed Dallas' dynasty. ESPN, October 8, 2014, accessed July 25, 2016 .
- ↑ Michael Silver: Herschel Walker trade: Boon for Cowboys, bust for Vikings. National Football League, October 10, 2014, accessed July 25, 2016 .