Shortly after the 49ers lost the Super Bowl, tight end Delanie Walker learned that his aunt and uncle had been killed on a highway near New Orleans by a driver who was allegedly driving drunk.
Walker, who is set to become a free agent on Tuesday, said that he forgot all about the pain of the loss when he heard that Alice and Bryan Young had lost their lives but he certainly hasn’t forgotten about them. Walker hosted a dinner event where he signed memorabilia with portions of the proceeds going to Mothers Against Drunk Driving and he will take part in a MADD walk in May to further spread the message of the dangers of driving under the influence.
“I just want to open up people’s eyes,” Walker said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “It’s never the person that’s drinking and driving that gets hurt. It’s always the person that’s doing the right thing and trying to get home and mind their business. This happens so much and now it’s really hit home for me. I just want to make people more aware through my story.”
Let’s hope Walker decides to spread his message to his peers in the NFL. There’s far too many players arrested for DUI and far too many lives put at risk by those that keep doing it because they haven’t been arrested, which makes them a perfect group to hear from Walker in the future.