WATCH: Mel Tucker congratulates Kenneth Walker on Walter Camp award
Michigan State coach Mel Tucker couldn’t be more proud of a player than he is of Kenneth Walker III, who was named the Walter Camp Player of the Year on Thursday. In front of the entire Spartans team, Tucker broke the news that Walker had won that award, plus the Doak Walker award given to the nation’s top running back.
He then offered a heartfelt congratulations to the Spartan star.
“I think it was after the Northwestern game that he exploded on the scene,” Tucker said. “We already knew what he was. Especially you, (safety Xavier Henderson). The defense couldn’t lay a hand on the guy in the spring. After the game, he comes up and says, ‘Thanks, coach, for taking a chance on me.’ I’m like, ‘What? Taking a chance on you? Thanks for taking a chance on us.’ That’s just the type of guy he is. Humble and hard working. We’re just really appreciative of what you’ve done for the team, the university and all the Spartans fans. You’ve really done a lot for us.”
Walker was a rather unheralded recruit coming out of high school, earning just three FBS offers. After two seasons at Wake Forest, he transferred to Michigan State this offseason.
He is the first player in Michigan State history to win either award. He joins an elite list of running backs in Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Barry Sanders and Derrick Henry to have been named the Walter Payton Player of the Year.
For much of the season, the junior was at the forefront of the Heisman watch list. However, he was not named one of the final four candidates for the trophy.
Walker finished the regular season with 1,636 yards rushing, a number that ranks second in the FBS. He also added 18 touchdowns on the ground.
After failing to make a bowl game in Tucker’s inaugural season, the Spartans finished 10-2 following an impressive 8-0 start. They are set to face Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl, the program’s first New Year’s Six appearance since 2015.
It has already been a special season for the Spartans, but Kenneth Walker winning the Walter Camp Player of the Year makes it historic.