Neal Walk (1966-69) – Center
Neal Walk is probably the greatest Gators athlete that most Florida fans have never heard of.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Miami Beach, Fla., Walk did not start a high school game until his senior year when his team made it to the state semifinals. He attended the University of Florida on an academic scholarship, where he played center for three seasons under coach Tommy Bartlett.
During his time in Gainesville from 1966-69, Walk set multitudes of team records that still stand, including career rebounds (1,181), points per game (20.8), and rebounds in a single game (31), while also leaving school as the all-time leading scorer — a distinction he no longer holds. His No. 41 jersey remains the only number retired by UF’s basketball program.
Walk was taken at No. 2 in the 1969 NBA Draft by the Phoneix Suns — the highest of any Florida basketball player ever — just behind legendary Lew Alcindor (now Kareem Adul Jabbar) after the Suns lost a coin toss with the Milwaukee Bucks for the top pick.
The best years of Walk’s professional career came early on in Phoenix, where he hit his high-water mark during the 1972–73 season, averaging a career-best 20.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. The double-double machine was traded to the New Orleans Jazz in 1974 where his career completely came apart, falling from a front line starter to a benchwarmer with the Jazz and also shortly after with the New York Knicks until 1977.
Walk finished his career professional career in Italy, retiring in 1978. Complications from spinal cord surgery to remove a benign growth in 1987 left him without the use of his legs, rendering him wheelchair-bound for the remainder of his life. The Gator great passed away in 2015 after a long bout with poor health.
