Walker embraces uncommon path
High school experience as an O-lineman helps veteran CSU player excel at TE.
fort collins» When highly touted Colorado State tight end Kivon Cartwright was shut down with an ankle injury after playing one game last season — the opener against Colorado — the Rams had to adjust. They more than managed. Unheralded junior college transfer Steven Walker stepped in, had 30 receptions for 279 yards and four touchdowns and was named to the Mountain West’s all-league first team.
It was striking because the major reason Walker had gone from the powerful program at Wichita’s Heights High School to Kansas’ Butler Community College for two years was that he was an offensive lineman in high school. At Butler, he proved he could play tight end and became more of a majorcollege prospect.
Did Walker, now at about 230 pounds, ever consider trying to eat and lift his way to becoming one of the college game’s 300pound giants up front?
“Absolutely not,” he said with a laugh at CSU’s practice Wednesday. “Absolutely not.”
Turning serious, Walker added: “A lot of people still don’t believe I played offensive line in high school. … I’m grateful that they did it. We went out there and won a state championship and played for three.
“Any way I was going to help the team, I was going to do it. I told Coach that, and when he told me to go to offensive line, I didn’t blink an eye. I tried to be the best guard, or center, or whatever I played at the time I
could possibly be.”
Walker also said he doesn’t feel the high school deployment “cheated” him out of a full four-year career as a tight end at the majorcollege level.
“Going to Butler molded me to the player I am, and if I didn’t go to junior college, I wouldn’t be the same player I am now,” he said.
Walker noted that Butler was only 20 miles from Wichita and the junior college program felt like home.
“My mom could come up there if she wanted to,” he said. “She’s eight hours away now, so it’s tougher. You don’t have much time at junior college, so you have to bond fast. I still talk to about 10 guys daily. We have a group message going. Wearing the purple and gold at Butler was a great time.”
The Rams have Cartwright back with a medical hardship sixth year of eligibility and also return Nolan Peralta, who got a lot of playing time, at tight end. So the challenge becomes how to best use the three.
“We can all get on the field, and we can all mix it up in different ways by blocking or running routes,” Walker said. “We all are good at every aspect of it and this camp, we’re getting better at everything.”
CSU first-year coach Mike Bobo said he has been “real pleased” with what he has seen of Walker in fall camp.
“In the spring, I thought he was a little bit rusty and was dealing with a hamstring and some groin soreness, I believe,” Bobo said. “He’s looked sharp. … He’s got good fundamentals. He understands angles and hat placement, which is important for a tight end.
“You don’t have to maul a guy. It’s hat placement and getting your first two steps, and he’s doing a nice job of that. You can tell he’s got an offensive line background.”