Former Lions LB, Kicker Wayne Walker Dies at Age 80

Former Detroit Lions kicker and linebacker Wayne Walker died on Friday at the age of 80. 

Per Bill Dow of the Detroit Free Press, Walker was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015 and was fighting the disease until his death. 

Walker had previously been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2007. He announced the disease had gone into remission in 2009 following chemotherapy and radiation treatment. 

A fourth-round draft pick by the Lions in 1958, Walker played his entire 15-year career with the franchise. He split time between linebacker and kicker throughout his playing career and was named to three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. 

Walker was also named to the Lions' all-time team to commemorate the franchise's 75th anniversary in 2008. Following his football career, Walker spent 20 years as a sports director for San Francisco Bay Area news station KPIX before retiring to Idaho, per SF Gate's Steve Kroner.