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Sportaphile has dedicated a decent amount of time to Javon Walker in the past, from his mind boggling contract with Oakland to his bizarre mugging in Las Vegas. Somehow this guy just can’t stay out of the news and his NFL career gets weirder by the minute.

Reports surfaced this weekend that Javon Walker was so distressed by his lackluster performance in training camp, that he told management he was retiring. That’s right, he was willing to throw away a newly signed $55 million dollar contract because he’s having a slow start in practice. The owner of the Raiders, Al Davis, had to talk Walker out of leaving.. .and he eventually changed his mind. Javon has done a complete 180 and is now saying everything is fine.

“That’s a done issue,” Walker said late Saturday following the Raiders’ evening practice. “I’m not really sure what happened but that’s a done issue. That’s something that obviously people hear stuff. I’m here practicing, waiting, and (I) obviously can’t wait till the season starts.

However… head coach Lane Kiffin has his doubts…

“I worry a lot about it,” Kiffin said. “For someone to discuss retirement, and then to come back and change his mind a day later. I’m worried a lot about it. I’m worried about where he’s at mentally, because these things happen sometimes and they come back up again, because maybe they come back and maybe it isn’t necessarily for the right reasons. So were going to continue to communicate with him and push him out there on the field and get him better.”

Between Javon’s recent behavior, and the situation with Darrent Williams, I’m starting to think there are serious mental issues that need to be tended to. I’m no health professional, but I know “coo coo for cocoa puffs” when I see it.