Walker Robbed

If you’ve not heard yet, Javon Walker was robbed and left unconscious on a Las Vegas street early Monday morning.  Reports are that Walker is currently in fair condition in Las Vegas with an orbital fracture (broke the bone around his eye).  ESPN has been reporting he has “significant injuries,” and although they are reporting that “a hospital spokesman said he had no immediate information about Walker’s condition”, local reporters are reporting only about the fracture.  Vegas police say they have not made any arrests, nor does it appear that they have any suspects.

On his injury; after consulting with a doctor I know and trust (my father), there is a possibility that this could be career threatening.  Now it’s too early to know where he stands, but assuming he was knocked unconscious by one powerful hit, the odds are high the fracture would be so bad he’d never be able to see out of the eye again.  The good news is there are reports that he only needs a 24 hour stay in the hospital, and could be released today.  I’d be surprised if he started the season, but considering that the eye injury can be shielded by the helmet and visor, it’s not out of the question.  It’ll depend on whether the orbital bone can get heal enough to handle the weight and pressure that comes with wearing a helmet (if you’ve ever put on a football helmet you know what I’m talking about).

There’s not much more to report right now, but I do have a couple questions that keep popping in my head: Why was he alone?  Why would he walk through, or be in, any area alone that something like this could happen without a witness?  I’m not trying to kick the guy while he’s down, but I just hope he wasn’t doing something stupid that put him in this situation.

Kind of on that note, here’s what Bill Williamson wrote on Hashmarks:

"There are some tragic ironies to the Javon Walker robbery story.Walker went to Las Vegas in the days after Darrent Williams was murdered in Denver on Jan. 1, 2007.Williams died in Walker’s arms in a rented limousine after the two attended a New Year’s Eve party in downtown Denver. Walker received a lot of criticism for going to Las Vegas and going to nightclubs instead of joining the rest of the organization in Fort Worth, Texas, at Williams’ funeral.Walker said in an HBO interview last summer that he fled Denver for Las Vegas because he was scared for his life.In that same interview, Walker said a melee started before Williams was shot because Denver receiver Brandon Marshall and his cousin were spraying champagne at the Denver nightclubs and that it agitated gang members in attendance.According to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Walker — who signed with Oakland after being cut by Denver this offseason — was spraying champagne at two Las Vegas nightclubs last weekend, including shortly before he was found unconscious."

The Oakland Raiders have not talked to Javon yet, but say they are gathering more information.