National Football League

Texas A&M Football: Derel Walker Signs with Bucs

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:16 p.m. ET

Fansided, Matthew Bartlett/FanSided via Gig Em Gazette

Two former Texas A&M football wide receivers will be reuniting later this year. Instead of Kyle Field, they’ll be playing alongside each other in the NFL.

As senior at Texas A&M Derel Walker played opposite Mike Evans in 2013. He saved his best performance for last, catching six passes for 113 yards and touchdown in the Aggies tremendous Chic-fil-A bowl victory over Duke.

After signing with the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent he was subsequently released prior to the regular season. From there the Hillsboro, Texas native found his way to the Canadian Football League and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos.

In two seasons with the Eskimos Walker has amassed 2,699 yards and 16 touchdowns – including a 104 yard score this year. No that’s not a typo, CFL fields are apparently 110 yards long. He finished 2016 second in the league in receiving yards (1,589) and tied for second in touchdowns (10).

It appears his days in Canada might be over. Instead, he’ll be coming back to the States and reuniting with former teammate Mike Evans in Florida.

Source tells me that the Bucs have agreed to terms with CFL WR Derel Walker on a futures deal. He was a… https://t.co/0qKZb5Hqzu

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) January 5, 2017

He won’t be alone. The Bucs have also signed former Aggie offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison.

What is a Futures Contract?

In simple terms, a futures contract is a contract that places a claim on a particular player for the upcoming season. When an NFL team signs a player to a futures contract the player isn’t counted against the current 53 man roster limit, instead their contract counts against the training camp roster in the spring.

At this point Walker has essentially earned an invitation to training camp. Come the opening day of the 2017 NFL season the Bucs could be starting a pair of Aggie wide receivers who fared well the last time they played on the same team.

Another target would only help distract opposing defenses from honing in on Evans. It’s not like Evans has had any trouble. This year he totaled 1,321 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

***Stats from CFL.CA, ESPN, and Sports Reference***