Kenneth Walker III has been the Seattle Seahawks‘ leading rusher in each of the last four years. That title means a bit more this year, though.
Walker has played an integral role in the team’s inspiring run to the top of the NFC West this season under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald. He’s on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards for the second time in his pro career, and the Seahawks are two wins away from clinching the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
Before the Seahawks take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, I spoke with Walker, courtesy of Oral-B, the official toothbrush of the NFL.
“The main thing I like about it is the 2-minute counter,” Walker said about Oral-B’s electronic toothbrush. “It tells me when I’m done brushing my teeth, and my old manual toothbrush didn’t do that.”
Walker, who the Seahawks took in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Michigan State, also discussed Sam Darnold, his surprise dislike of BBQ and that two-point conversion that helped the Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week 16.
The following interview with Walker has been lightly edited for clarity.
You rushed for 100 yards against the Rams in Week 16. That’s the first time you hit 100 yards since Week 2. What was the difference in the resurgence of the running game?
Walker: I feel like we executed well. We talked about getting the running game going all week, and this week (against the Rams), we made a few adjustments, and the offensive line did a great job.
You and Zach Charbonnet have made a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield for Seattle. What’s it like playing alongside Zach?
Walker: Yeah, Zach and I have been together for a minute. It’s been good to be able to feed off each other. We always talk about that at practice. We’re never really competing against each other, but the other team and whoever is across from us. I always support him, just like he supports me. It’s been great to have him in my corner.
Obviously, an odd 2-point play your team converted to tie the game late against the Rams. What was going through your mind when you watched Zach pick up the ball in the end zone, and your team was later awarded the conversion after replay review?
Walker: At first, I wasn’t even thinking about the whole situation. But we call it EAT drill, and if the ball is on the ground, we want to end up with the ball no matter what — defense, offense or special teams. I’m definitely going to be picking the ball up myself all the time.
Do you feel a win like that over the Rams could be a springboard for the rest of the season?
Walker: Yeah, definitely. I think it’s important to go through adversity. We were down by 16 points, and being able to see the team fight, come back and nobody flinched. We were able to showcase our heart through that game. And I think that’s important.
You mention never flinching. That’s something that Mike Macdonald talks about a lot. What’s it been like to play for him?
Walker: It’s been good. It’s just good to play for someone who really wants to win. And you can feel that energy. He really wants to win. He wants to put us in positions to win. He wants what’s best for the players and the organization. So, it’s been great to play for him.
Sam Darnold also made some big plays late against the Rams. How has he evolved during this season?
Walker: He’s been great since he’s come in. He’s a real funny, energetic person. But he’s also a leader. We went through some adversity in that game with a couple turnovers, but like I said, he never flinched. But he has that same mentality, not too high and not too low. He’s just mellow, so it’s great to have him. And we’re going to need him throughout this stretch.
He has a real dry sense of humor. How would you describe it?
Walker: He’s real sarcastic, and like you said, a real dry sense of humor. First, you think he’s serious, but the whole time, he’ll be joking. So, I had to catch on to that, just getting to know him. But now that we’ve got to know each other, I know exactly how he is.
Sam Darnold and Kenneth Walker have formed one of the NFC’s top QB-RB tandems in the NFC this year. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
I know you’re from Memphis, so what’s your favorite BBQ spot?
Walker: Honestly, bro, growing up I did not like BBQ.
Really?
Walker: I didn’t mind it, but we used to always go to cookouts. So, I was fine with the cookouts. But I would say my favorite restaurant is Ching’s Hot Wings. That would be go-to. Honey gold chicken wings are my favorite.
What was it like being on the sideline watching 44-year-old Philip Rivers play a few weeks ago? And could you play at 44?
Walker: First off, me at 44, I don’t think I’m going to be trying to play at 44 (laughs). But it was cool, because when I was younger, my pops (Kenneth Walker Jr.) used to talk about Philip Rivers. He was a fan of Philip Rivers, so being able to play against a legend was pretty cool to see. Growing up as a kid, you wouldn’t think that you would get a chance to play against someone like that.
Were you surprised at how well Rivers played?
Walker: Yes and no. I wasn’t really surprised because he’s been doing it for a minute, it’s just that to go from being out of the league [for five years] and come back and do that is crazy, but I guess he’s just got it like that.
You’ve talked about almost quitting football during your junior year in high school. How has that continued to be a motivating factor in your career?
Walker: Yeah, definitely. First off, if I had quit, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Also, I talk about my pops a lot. He’s always in my corner, and that’s who helped me get through that situation, my pops and my mom (Shaunteshia Brown). They just told me not to make a decision based on emotion.
Me and my coach got into it, and I was mad or whatever, I was like, I’m pretty much done with football. But they instilled in me to not make a decision based off emotion really helped me. And I carry that with me to this day.
Do you still have a relationship with that coach?
Walker: Yeah, Coach [Andrew] Atkins (The former defensive coordinator at Arlington High School, where Walker attended school). That’s one of my favorite coaches to this day. Even after that, that same year, I was getting recruited at Wake Forest and he took the time out to drive me to Wake Forest, and that’s a 10-hour drive from Memphis and back. So, that’s 20 hours.
So, he did all of that when my parents weren’t able to take me at that time. That stuck with me, and I appreciate him for that. And we definitely still talk.
Looks like you have a gym at home and like to work out. What does that mean for you?
Walker: Yeah, again, going back to my dad, that’s who really instilled that in me as a kid. I probably was four when I started working out, and I worked out with my dad 24/7. There would be times when I didn’t want to work out, and he would make me. And I’m over here crying, I had tears in my eyes while we were working out.
But it brought me to this point in my life, and I thank him for it. As a kid, I didn’t see it that way. But as I got older, I know now what he was doing for me. So yeah, that means a lot to me. That’s why I put a gym in my house because I know how important it is to work hard to get to where you want to go.”
Kenneth Walker was a star at Michigan State before becoming a standout with the Seahawks, nearly winning the Heisman Trophy in 2021. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
So, you had a gym in your house when you worked out as kid?
Walker: Yeah, that whole house was like a gym almost. You go upstairs and to the left side you got ellipticals, treadmills and bikes. And then in my backyard, we had like two smaller houses, and we had a wrestling mat and more gym equipment back there. It was crazy.
You couldn’t get away from it?
Walker: No, you were stuck bro (laughs).
Did you wrestle growing up?
Walker: Yeah, I wrestled from fifth to eighth grade. I won state [at 155 pounds] my eighth-grade year, then I stopped wrestling to focus on football.
What was your go-to wrestling move?
Walker: I would do an ankle pick. Grab him by the head and then drop to the ground and get them by the ankle.
What’s your game fit like?
Walker: I’ve been wearing double-breasted suits a lot. I like streetwear, too. But the double-breasted suits, I feel like are just a clean look. I just feel like when you look good, you feel good and you play good. That’s pretty much it.
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