WALKER’S KILLER WORKOUTS PAY OFF
Florida State end strives to be best
DeMarcus Walker looked at me like I had lost my mind.
The Florida State defensive end was describing his offseason conditioning this week when he casually mentioned “throw-up Mondays.”
He talked about how he would push his body so far past its limit, in the brutal heat of a Florida summer, that he inevitably would vomit during the workout.
Walker knew it was going to happen. When he showed up on those Mondays, he knew that by the end of the session his stomach contents would be all over that field in Jacksonville. He did it anyway.
Which led to the question that led Walker to do almost a double-take. Why? Usually we’re doing anything and everything not to throw up, but Walker was out there making sure he did.
“Because I wanted to be the best,” he said. “I knew it was going to take time and I knew it was going to take a lot of hard work.
“I just love perfecting my craft. I love getting better. I hate pain, but I love pleasure. So the sacrifices I have to make to prevail, I don’t mind doing it.”
That was clear every Monday.
It’s a mind-set most people aren’t born with. We can’t relate.
Wanting something so bad, having so much conviction, that you put up with that kind of pain? Voluntarily? Remember, these weren’t Florida State workouts. Walker was doing them on his own.
“My trainer planned those Mondays where we would push the sled 5 yards, got to run back 5,” Walker said. “Push the sled 10 yards, got to run back 10. Push the sled 15, got to run back 15. Then push the sled 30.
“Sled gassers were the worst. I wanted to fight him those days.” He would vomit instead. Participating in something called “throw-up Mondays” isn’t normal. And that’s probably what stands out most about Walker. He isn’t normal.
By the end of someone’s sophomore year, we usually have a pretty strong idea of what kind of career he’ll have. We’ve seen enough by then to know if there’s anything to be excited about, if there’s an NFL future. With Walker, we had no idea. He had two sacks total in his first two years. It looked like he was going to have an average college football career. Nothing to really remember.
But Walker wasn’t about to go out like that.
As a junior, he burst onto the scene with 101⁄ sacks and 151⁄ 2 2 tackles for losses. By the end of the season, he was the best player on the defense.
And that wasn’t nearly good enough for Walker. He wanted to be the best player in the country.
So he got bigger, faster and stronger. He took yoga classes in the offseason to improve his flexibility. He endured “throw-up Mondays.” He was laser-focused on becoming the top defensive end in the country.
Now, Walker is a consensus All-American. Heading into Friday’s Orange Bowl against Michigan, he is second in the nation with 15 sacks. He has 171⁄ tackles 2 for losses.
He also has been the team’s unquestioned leader.
And that’s really what Walker’s legacy will be after he plays his final game in garnet and gold Friday.
Yes, he was a dominant, gamechanging defensive end. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Think about what all of the younger players on the Florida State roster have learned just by watching Walker.
Here’s a guy who hadn’t accomplished much of anything individually after two years. Now he’s leaving as one of the all-time greats in Florida State history.
Think about what his story says about work ethic, about drive, about self-belief.
After the 2014 season, the only person who truly believed in Walker was Walker. The rest of the country hadn’t even heard of him.
Cut to Thursday’s Orange Bowl news conference when Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was asked about Walker.
“I think he’s their best player,” Harbaugh said. “One of the best players we’ve seen. He’s a real outstanding player.”
Walker’s teammates have heard about hard work and dedication all their lives. But those words are practically abstract. For players blessed with great athletic ability, it can be hard to quantify what hard work really is.
You know what isn’t hard to quantify? Throw-up Mondays. But that’s what makes Walker who he is.