Editing Doak Walker (section)

==Early life==
Walker was born in [[Dallas]], [[Texas]], in 1927.<ref name=PFR>{{cite news|title=Doak Walker|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=Pro-Football-Reference.com|access-date=November 8, 2017|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WalkDo00.htm}}</ref> His father, Ewell Doak Walker Sr., was a Tennessee native and a school teacher who later became assistant superintendent and personnel director of the Dallas school system. His mother Emma was a Texas native, and he had a younger sister, Elsa.<ref name=Woodward>"In the Air or On the Ground, Doak's Game is Close to Perfect", ''Stanley Woodward's Football – 1949.'' New York: Dell Publishing, 1949; pg. 11.</ref><ref>1930 U.S. Census entry for Ewell D. Walker and family. Son Ewell age 3. Census Place: Dallas, Dallas, Texas; Roll: 2313; Page: 88A; Enumeration District: 0017; FHL microfilm: 2342047. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref><ref>1940 U.S. Census entry for Ewell D. Walker and family. Son Ewell age 13. Census Place: University Park, Dallas, Texas; Roll: T627_4015; Page: 62A; Enumeration District: 57-7A. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line].</ref>

Walker attended [[Highland Park High School (University Park, Texas)|Highland Park High School]] in [[University Park, Texas|University Park]], where he was a five-sport athlete in [[American football|football]], [[basketball]], [[baseball]], [[Swimming (sport)|swimming]], and [[track and field]].<ref name=Woodward /> In 1944, Doak Walker led his high school football team to the state championship game. He and future college and NFL star [[Bobby Layne]] were teammates at Highland Park; Layne played college football at the [[Texas Longhorns football|University of Texas]] in [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].

Following his graduation from high school in 1945, Walker joined the [[United States Maritime Service|Merchant Marine]].<ref name=Woodward /> The war ended in August 1945, and Walker was discharged from the Merchant Marine on November 1, 1945.<ref name=BigSpring>{{cite news|title=Walker To Play In Frisco Game|newspaper=Big Spring (TX) Herald|date=December 20, 1945|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/14973024/walker_to_play_in_frisco_game/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>