Getting to know Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III
EAST LANSING, Mich. — While Michigan State’s star running back Kenneth Walker has had a quick rise to stardom over these past few weeks, his journey to this part of his life hasn’t always been so simple.
Kenneth Walker was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up, Kenneth’s family played a massive role in molding him into the athlete, and more importantly into the young man that he is today.
Kenneth’s father would work with him constantly when it came to sports, working out, practicing football, wrestling, whatever it may be, Kenneth’s dad was right there with him the whole time.
Kenneth has always had a very strong work ethic, which was instilled into him by his parents. Kenneth and his dad would sometimes work out two to three times per day, which helped him always be prepared for whatever adversity was sent his way.
As his high school career started to move along, Kenneth wasn’t receiving as many scholarships as he felt he deserved. However, that didn’t stop him and his dream of playing Division I football, but a health scare almost did.
At the end of his junior year in high school, Kenneth remembers late one night he said in a Michigan State Athletics video he, “Woke up in so much pain that he couldn’t move.” His mom remembered him laying across their bedroom floor barely being able to breath.
His mom rushed him to the emergency room and waited for the doctors to tell them what in the world is happening to her son. The doctor came in and asked if Kenneth played any sports, to which his mom replied, “Yes sir, he plays football.” The doctor responded, “Well, not anymore.”
Kenneth just remembers putting his hands in his face, with a mixture of emotions of both pain, and sadness, as he was just starting to receive offers from Division One programs, and now he was told he could never play again.
His mother refused to accept this diagnosis from the doctor as she told Kenneth, “No, this is not happening. You’re going to shine; this is your last year.”
Kenneth and his family went and got a second opinion at St. Jude’s children hospital, and they were told that he had blood clots in his lungs, and would have to be out for nine months, and take blood thinners every week.
Eventually, Kenneth was working so hard, and his health was improving at such a high rate, that he got to the point where he was cleared to play the week before his first game of his senior year of high school, it was truly a miracle.
Kenneth had been working out with his father all summer during his treatment, and he turned out to be in the best shape of his life and went on to have a very successful senior season.
Wake Forest went on to offer Kenneth a scholarship late in his senior year of high school, where he played well for two seasons. However, wasn’t being used in a way that benefited both him and his team, so he decided to enter the transfer portal.
As Michigan State’s running backs coach William Peagler was looking for potential players in the transfer portal, the main thing he said he was looking for was, “Someone who could hit a home run.”
“As I watched tape on a lot of guys, there was really only one guy that I kept coming back to, that was explosive and could do the things we asked him to do,” said William Peagler. And that guy, was Kenneth Walker.
Since transferring to MSU, Walker has burst on to the scene and has become a favorite to be a finalist at this year’s Heisman trophy presentation.
Kenneth said that when he thinks back on what he has been through to get here, that he is just grateful. “I just smile, I’m really where I want to be in life right now,” says Kenneth.
This may be the one of the first time’s you are getting to learn more about Kenneth Walker III, and there is nobody who deserves this success more than him, and this is certainly only the beginning.
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