Michigan State Spartans RB Kenneth Walker III enjoyed a fantastic 2021 season, and earned the Doak Walker Award winner as the nation’s top running back.
During the 2021 season, Walker finished top five in the nation in carries and yards, racking up a total of 263 carries, 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns. And despite finishing 6th in the Heisman Trophy voting, whom many saw as a snub, he has a very clear goal laid out for himself in 2022 for his first season in the professional ranks.
“I want to be rookie of the year,” he said during the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
“Hard work and dedication,” he continued with how he plans to accomplish it. “I got to go in the weight room (and) work hard, but I’ve also got to get in the playbook and learn the plays as soon as I can.”
He'll be looking to transition the success that he enjoyed in East Lansing to the NFL, and you can bet that he's hoping to hear his name called off the board early.
“It’s very important (to be the No. 1 back), I feel like it’s a dream of mine to be drafted early,” Walker said. “And also for other running backs as well, to get them off the board too.”
“It’s a blessing to make it this far,” he continued. “In high school, I was not highly recruited at all — I had one Power 5 offer,” Walker said. “I believed in myself, but as (this) season went on, I never really imagined that it would have went that way.”
The Spartans knew they were getting a good player when Walker III transferred from Wake Forest, but couldn't have imagined just how well the move would pay off.
“Even after the first game, I thanked coach (Mel Tucker) for taking a chance on me,” Walker said. “My teammates made it so much easier to just transfer and come here.”
– – Quotes via MLive Link – –
