"[Walker's signing is] the single worst thing that has happened to college football since its inception." --Mississippi State Coach Emory Bellerd

Money, I suppose, makes mere mortals of us all. Even Herschel Walker.

Until this week Walker was untainted. His life read like a fairy tale. It began with a brilliant high school football career. Walker amassed over 6000 yards rushing and by the spring of 1980 was the top high school recruit in the nation. College offers streamed in, and Walker chose the University of Georgia and its coach, Vince Dooley.

At Georgia he was an instant sensation. In his first game against Tennessee the Bulldogs were trailing in the second half. Walker came off the bench and scored two touchdowns, keying Georgia's 16-15 come-from-behind victory.

Top Dawgs

And that was just the beginning. In his freshman year Walker rushed for 1616 yards and led his team to the Sugar Bowl. Once there, the undefeated Bulldogs whipped Notre Dame to earn their first-ever national college championship.

There wasn't much Walker could do for an encore his sophomore year. The star tailback ran for close to 1900 yards, scoring 20 touchdowns and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

This past season Walker outdid himself again. Rushing for 1752 yards, he led Georgia to its third-straight Sugar Bowl appearance and finally copped the Heisman.

But in early January, the fairy tale began to unravel.

Soon after telling the world at the Heisman dinner in New York he would finish his career at Georgia. Walker commissioned an agent, Jack Manton, to approach the New Jersey Generals of the USFL.

Cash and Carry

It doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out what Manton and Walker were after. They wanted money-lots of it-and they got it. Walker is now the highest paid football player in the world. The reports have varied, but the most reliable figures indicate that Walker signed a three-year contract for either $3.9 or $5 million.

Some speculation has painted Walker as an unwitting accomplice to the transaction. An objective look at the facts shows Walker knew what he was doing.

History helps to put in perspective. Two years ago the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League tried to lure Walker with a contract offer of $1.6 million. Still only a freshman, the Georgia star didn't bite, but he knew enough to take out a million dollar insurance policy on himself with Lloyd's of London. The annual premium reportedly cost his family $12,000.

Ante Up

Two months ago, Walker played his hand with similar skill. He approached the right man-owner J. Walker Duncan of the Generals-for three reasons. Duncan had an ample bankroll, he was willing to use it to give the USFL credibility, and his team played in the country's foremost media market, New York City.