October 12, 1989: The Herschel Walker Trade

October 12, 1989: The most stunning trade in NFL history is made. The Dallas Cowboys, having just been bought by Jerry Jones, who hired Jimmy Johnson as head coach, are going nowhere. The Minnesota Vikings think they can go to the Super Bowl if they can just get an elite running back.

So the Cowboys send the Vikings the 1 real asset they have, superstar running back Herschel Walker, along with their 3rd and 10th round picks in the 1990 NFL Draft, and their 3rd round pick in the 1991 Draft. The Vikings send the Cowboys running back Darrin Nelson, defensive end Alex Stewart, linebackers Jesse Solomon and David Howard, cornerback Issiac Holt; and a whopping 8 draft picks: the Vikings' 1st, 2nd and 6th round picks in 1990; their 1st and 2nd round picks in 1991; and their 1st, 2nd and 3rd round picks in 1992. 

Nelson refuses to report to Dallas, so the Vikings send him to the San Diego Chargers, in exchange for the Bolts' 5th round pick in 1990. But most observers believe that the Cowboys just doomed themselves to a decade of mediocrity, and that the Vikings have just traded for a Super Bowl win.

It worked the other way around, and then some. Viking management had no idea of what to do with Herschel, and wouldn't change their offensive scheme to one that utilized his talents. He was cut after the 1991 season, helped the Philadelphia Eagles make the 1992 Playoffs, and even returned to the Cowboys in 1996 -- having missed the team's entire renaissance.

That renaissance came in large part because the Cowboys began trading those draft picks to other teams, enabling them to acquire running backs Emmitt Smith and Alonzo Highsmith, defensive tackle Russell Maryland, and cornerbacks Darren Woodson, Kevin Smith and Clayton Holmes. This haul, along with the picks they already had, which helped net them quarterback Troy Aikman and receiver Michael Irvin, resulting in 3 Super Bowl wins in 4 years. Herschel's lousy luck: By the time he got back, it was over.

Walker, who led the University of Georgia to a National Championship as a freshman in 1980, and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy as a junior, rushed for 8,225 yards in the NFL. Counting the USFL, he rushed for 13,787 yards. In spite of this, he has not been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Given what so many collisions have done to his head, that Hall is the only thing to which he should ever be elected.

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October 12, 1989 was a Thursday. Both League Championship Series had been decided: The Oakland Athletics won the American League Pennant, beating the Toronto Blue Jays; and the San Francisco Giants won the National League Pennant, beating the Chicago Cubs. Both series were won in 5 games.

Football was in midweek. The NBA season didn't start until November 3. There were 4 games played in the NHL:

* The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Quebec Nordiques, 4-2 at The Spectrum in Philadelphia.

* The Detroit Red Wings beat the Winnipeg Jets, 5-4 at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

* The Chicago Blackhawks beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, 9-6 at the Chicago Stadium.

* And the Minnesota North Stars beat the St. Louis Blues, 3-0 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota.