“Some kids called me ‘One‐Eye,’ that sort of stuff,” the New York Jets legend Wesley Walker said, recalling his younger days. He has been nearly blind in his left eye since birth. A cataract blurred his vision, which he had carried since birth. But that didn’t stop him from becoming a deep threat on the field against players who had perfect vision in both eyes. The beginning was always tough, as harsh words like “one eye” that were sometimes directed at him, hurt and made him want to fight. But he always understood that there was no intent to hurt him.

Perhaps he had it from such a young age that he never really understood if something was truly wrong. When the family finally approached a specialist, they were told that surgery was possible, but there was a chance that his vision might not improve. Both the 6 ft legend and his family decided against the surgery. However, as his specialist noted, he had great “peripheral vision in both eyes.” It was good enough for him to make history in his college career and then during his 13-year NFL career.

Playing for the California Golden Bears, he averaged 25.7 yards per catch and earned multiple accolades along the way, eventually landing with the New York Jets in 1977. After his retirement, he took up various roles such as a physical education teacher and commentator. Overcoming all the hardships, his journey inspired many. And now, he’s finally ready to tell his story. Walker chronicled his life and journey in a new book, ‘Wide Open’, which has already been released.

The book is co-authored by Gary Kaschak. He also shared the link to his book on X, where several Jets fans became nostalgic, reminiscing about the legend who played during the famous Jets Sack Exchange era. It’s no surprise that fans still remember the legend.

Who was the first female scout, Wesley Walker?

As Walker said, it wasn’t his left eye! Something far more serious troubled the teams, which made him wait until the second round in the draft. It was his knee injury and surgery from the past. During a game, former USC player David Thurman ended up hitting him the wrong way, and Wesley Walker tore the lateral ligament in his knee. This season-ending injury required him to undergo surgery to fix it.

Walker sat and waited as the first round passed without receiving any calls. During the second round, he received a call from the New Orleans Saints. The team had the sixth pick that round, 34th overall. Moreover, his former teammate from California was part of the roster. The deal was delightful for him. “New Orleans called me at the start of the second round saying they’re going to draft me. I was excited because they drafted a guy by the name of Chuck Muncie the year before who was my teammate at Cal. He was like my mentor, I really loved him,” he said.

But then, he received a call from Connie Carberg. She was the NFL’s first female scout, working for the Jets. The team had one spot before the Saints and chose him. He didn’t know much about the team, but he was excited to begin his NFL career.

The team had concerns regarding his knee injury and his eye. However, Walker was quick to dash all those concerns and went on to help lead the team. His first best display was during a game against the Oakland Raiders, with 178 yards on four catches and a touchdown.

He was in the Pro Bowl and the All-Rookie Team. Indeed, he continued his dominance with 48 catches for 1,169 and eight scores, averaging 24.4 yards per catch. Moreover, Walker was the First-Team All-Pro for his standout performance in the 1978 season. From his troubles in his early career to becoming a Jets legend, his story and journey will inspire the fans.