Walker stays focused as draft stock soars
INDIANAPOLIS – From the time he started playing football at 7, Travon Walker has always recalled people make proclamations of grandeur about him.
He was always bigger than most kids his age; faster, stronger and more advanced. But as his excellence on the field drew continuous praise at every step of his football career, he always had his father, Stead, to keep him in check.
“I always had people in my corner to keep me grounded,” Walker said Friday at the NFL scouting combine. “My dad was always one to keep me humble as far as growing up. I just turned out to be a very humble guy, and my dad is still that to me.”
The elder Walker always reminded his son not to lose focus and not to worry about the opinions of others, no matter how generous the praise.
Now, all these years later, as the predraft buzz surrounding the Georgia defensive lineman continues to grow louder, Walker finds himself doing the same thing.
After a stellar college career capped by a standout performance in the Bulldogs’ national championship win over Alabama, and impressive showings during pre-draft evaluations, Walker’s stock has continued to rise. It’s believed that he could be drafted in the early-to-mid first round. One projection even had the 6-5, 272-pound Walker hearing his name called in the top five.
But the even-keeled Walker refuses to focus on the outward chatter.
“Projections, I really don’t think too much of,” he said. “I just keep my head down, keep doing what I’m doing and not let the hype get to me.”
Walker has his focus trained on interviewing well and showing off in the 40-yard dash (he wants to clock a time in the 4.5- to 4.6-second range).
Thus far, Walker has said all of his interviews have gone “very well,” and he has told coaches, “Anything a coach needs me to do, I’ll do it.”
“I’ll even play quarterback for him,” Walker said with a chuckle.
Versatility has indeed ranked among Walker’s strengths. As a freshman, he proved himself capable of contributing on kick coverage despite weighing 285 pounds at the time. He went on to earn praise as arguably the top athlete on Georgia’s roster. Over the next two seasons, Walker lined up all across the line, as Georgia’s coaches preferred to move linemen around and throw multiple fronts at opposing offenses.
“I feel like Georgia did a great job of preparing me for the NFL,” Walker said. “The defense we ran at the University of Georgia, we ran a lot of the defenses that are in the league – just about every defense there is. So, if a coach was to ask me about a defense, chances are I’ll know a little something about all of them.”
Now, Walker, who has met with teams including the Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, aims to continue his upward climb and diverse contributions on the next level.