* *The Indianapolis Colts have added David Walker as running backs coach and Devin Fitzsimmons as a coaching assistant, the club announced today.
Walker, a 16-year collegiate coaching veteran, joins the club after serving a brief stint in the same capacity at Maryland. He also tutored running backs at Pittsburgh from 2005-10. Fitzsimmons joins the Colts after serving as tight ends coach at Richmond in 2010. He also held previous posts at Virginia and Kansas State.
Biographies of Walker and Fitzsimmons follow:
David Walker Running BacksDavid Walker is in his first season as running backs coach of the Colts. Walker joined Indianapolis after a short stint in the same capacity at the University of Maryland.
Walker has 16 years of coaching experience at the collegiate level after beginning his career in 1994 at Miami's Carol City High School. Walker spent 2005-10 as running backs coach at the University of Pittsburgh. In 2010, RBs-Dion Lewis and Ray Graham combined for 1,983 yards and 21 touchdowns and finished in the top-60 in national rushing leaders. In 2009, Walker helped Lewis rush 325-1,799, 17 TDs to earn National Freshman-of-the-Year by multiple organizations, along with Big East Offensive Player-of-the-Year and Rookie-of-the-Year honors. From 2007-08, Walker tutored RB-LeSean McCoy, a D2-09 selection of Philadelphia, who rushed for 2,816 yards and 36 TDs in two collegiate seasons. McCoy was a unanimous All-Big East choice and was selected as Big East Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 2008. Walker also coached RB-LaRod Stephens-Howling, a D7-09 selection of Arizona. Walker served in the same capacity at Syracuse from 1995-2004. Walker oversaw four consecutive 1,000-yard rushers from 2000-03, a school record. He coached three of Syracuse's top seven all-time leading rushers, including Walter Reyes (3,424 yards), the school's second all-time leading rusher and whose 21 rushing scores in 2003 set the school record. Walker has coached eight players who had NFL careers, including former Colts RB-James Mungro.
Walker played running back at Syracuse, earning All-Big East honors twice. In 1992, he was captain as Syracuse finished 6th in the nation and beat Colorado in the Fiesta Bowl. He finished with 2,643 rushing yards, then the fourth-most in school history, ahead of former Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown. Walker holds a bachelor's degree in physical education.
Walker was born December 4, 1969 in Rochester, N.Y. He and his wife, Marilin, have two sons, Jalen and Jordan.
PERSONAL DATA: College: Syracuse 1989-92.
Coaching Career: Carol City HS 1994; Syracuse 1995-2004; Pittsburgh 2005-10; Indianapolis Colts 2011.
Devin Fitzsimmons Coaching Assistant
Devin Fitzsimmons is in his first season as coaching assistant with the Colts. Fitzsimmons joined Indianapolis after serving as tight ends coach at Richmond in 2010.
Fitzsimmons has six years of coaching experience, all at the collegiate level. In 2009, he was a graduate assistant at Virginia. He served 2007-08 at Kansas State, the first year as a graduate assistant for the offense and the second as director of operations. In 2006, Fitzsimmons was the wide receivers coach at Bucknell. He started his coaching career in 2005 as quarterbacks coach for Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C.
Fitzsimmons played quarterback and wide receiver at Bucknell University. He began his career at quarterback, but moved to wide receiver prior to his junior year. After suffering a career-ending knee injury in spring practice leading into his senior season, Fitzsimmons remained with the program as a student assistant coach for his final season. He won the Bucknell Football Moxie Award for special contributions to the program in 2004. He holds a bachelor's degree in history.
Fitzsimmons was born October 18, 1982 in Folsom, La.
PERSONAL DATA: College: Bucknell 2001-05.
Coaching Career: Shaw 2005; Bucknell 2006; Kansas State 2007-08; Virginia 2009; Richmond 2010; Indianapolis Colts 2011.
