Right before we all dismiss Javon Walker for how his tenure ended in Denver and began in Oakland, let's stop and consider a few things first.

It was not widely publicized, though on Friday nights two years ago, Walker would show up at high school football games in low area incomes of town.

He donated $30,000 to the Darrent Williams Teen Center. In almost every instance, when Walker is brought up these days, the connection to Williams, whom Walker had die in his arms on New Year's Day in 2007, is not very far behind. The champagne sprayed at the Shelter nightclub that night to the champagne (Said to be $15,000 worth according to a report) that Walker was photographed spraying in Las Vegas just hours before he was found lying unconscious on a street, the victim of an apparent robbery, is just one example noted.

Of course, there are other more positive comparisons. Both Walker and Williams were gregraious in dealing with the press. The assumption is that unlike the personable Williams, out of the range of the cameras, Walker, was more of a loner in team circles. This seems to be substantiated by the lack of friends Walker seemed to have on the squad. Also, teammates during OTA sessions, never referred to him by name, though insinuated, the departure of Walker was a positive step for the develoment of the team.

The city of Las Vegas is not an unfamiliar place for Walker. He spent time there when almost every member of the organization was at the Wiliams funeral. Rosalind Williams, Darrent's mother, said it was Javon's way of coping and said it did not make her angry that he did not attend. The word is that Walker may have finally decided to seek assistance in trying to get over the traumatic mental burden the Willaims incident had on him. He had told Andrea Kremer of HBO's "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel", that he did not need to seek out help. If that has changed, it could be the first step in the changing of a man many of us, maybe wrongly, have seen as never changing.

See you soon.

-"z"