As the Florida Gators continue their March Madness run, guard Walter Clayton Jr. is in the spotlight.
Walter, from Lake Wales, Florida, is a senior, and began his college career at Iona University. He transferred to complete his senior year at University of Florida to be closer to his newborn daughter and his family.
“It would be a lot for a young man to come back to college, finish up his career, move from being the two-guard to the primary ball handler and point guard on a team and have a young baby and welcome a new child into the world,” Florida coach Todd Golden told Sporting News. “Not only that, but take pride in it. It speaks to his maturity and his toughness both mentally and physically that he's been able to navigate this year so well.”
Here, get to know Walter Clayton Jr.’s family—including girlfriend Tatiyana Burney, parents, and sisters.
Walter Clayton Jr.’s girlfriend, Tatiyana Burney, and their daughter, Leilani Leigh Clayton
Walter and Tatiyana grew up together; they met when they were in middle school.
“After I met her, I realized that she lets him kind of be him,” Walter’s mom, Cherie, said of Tatiyana. “She knows he's busy with his sports and that he always has kind of put that first. She never was with the high school drama... She [kind of] blended right in with our little family.”
Walter and Tatiyana welcomed daughter Leilani on December 11, 2023; he posted on Instagram she is his “new why.” “She is depending on me to provide for her,” he later said. “I'm still kind of figuring out the whole father thing. Just, you know how to be there for her every day, being there as much as I possibly can. So it’s just a lot of extra motivation.”
He added, “I definitely think [Leilani’s birth] helped maturity-wise…I probably still got some more maturing to do, so me and Leilani [are] kind of growing together right now.”
Celebrating Leilani’s first birthday this past December, Tatiyana posted on Facebook, “being able to watch you grow and reach new milestones have been nothing but the best! being a mom isn’t easy but i’ll do it all over again just to be yours my sweet girl 🥰🥰 i love you babygirl mama got you 4L 🤞🏼and thank you to my man for being here and there since day 1 making sure we’re always good and for allowing me to be able to stay at home with our baby and take care of her, we love you so much and appreciate you more than you’ll ever know Walter Clayton Jr.”
Walter Clayton Jr.’s mom, Cherie Quarg and dad, Walter Clayton Sr.
His mom, Cherie played softball and basketball in high school, and his dad (and namesake) also played basketball. “They had a community court in their neighborhood,” Cherie told the Orlando Sentinel. “His dad would go in on him down there. People would come and sit and watch them go head to head with each other.”
Here’s Walter with his parents and daughter on Gators’ Senior Day:
Cherie married Tramell Foster in April 2023.
Walter Clayton’s sisters, Asia Harris and Giselle Clayton
Both sisters are very private, but his younger sister, Asia, is a student at the University of Kansas.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
