Former Tennessee Titans tight end Delanie Walker recently shared his personal Mount Rushmore of all-time great tight ends during an interview with FanSided’s Sterling Holmes, and one inclusion raised eyebrows: New York Giants legend Jeremy Shockey.
Walker, a three-time Pro Bowler with 14 NFL seasons, named the following quartet: John Mackey, Shannon Sharpe, Tony Gonzalez, and Shockey. He praised Mackey as the pioneer of the modern receiving tight end, Sharpe for his explosive speed and inspiration during Walker’s youth, and Gonzalez as an undeniable must-have. Then came Shockey.
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“Oh, let’s go. Jeremy Shockey. I like Jeremy Shockey. Like, I know Jeremy Shockey was a bad boy in there, but I like that bad boy mentality. That blonde hair. Just a dog out there. Man,” Walker said.
Shockey, a four-time Pro Bowler who played primarily for the Giants (2002-2007), amassed 547 receptions for 6,143 yards and 37 touchdowns over his career, earning First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie and contributing to Super Bowl runs with the Giants (XLII) and Saints (XLIV).
Unfortunately for Shockey, he did not play in Super Bowl XLII due to a fractured fibula.
While his production was solid rather than record-breaking compared to modern stars, Walker’s nod highlighted Shockey’s bruising, tough-guy style and charismatic intensity that made him a standout personality and feared blocker-receiver hybrid in his era.
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Walker also mentioned Travis Kelce as a strong contender, but kept his monument to those four.
The pick underscores how Shockey’s on-field grit and larger-than-life presence left a lasting impression on peers like Walker, even if it was somewhat unexpected in a list of tight end greats.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants great Jeremy Shockey makes Delanie Walker’s TE Mount Rushmore