Deone Walker talks versatility and covering passes with Andy Staples
Is there anything Deone Walker can’t do? Kentucky‘s star defensive lineman says no, and after he dropped back into coverage last Saturday against Florida, forcing an interception with a big hit on the intended receiver, who wants to argue with him?
On3’s Andy Staples, a former Florida Gator, welcomed Walker onto his show to agree with the 6-foot-6, 350-pound sophomore about his versatility. Staples began their Tuesday conversation by asking Walker how he found himself in pass coverage against the Gators in the first place. Walker said his defensive coordinator, Brad White, added the wrinkle earlier in the week, then asked Saturday morning if Walker felt comfortable trying it.
“Of course I said yeah,” Walker told Staples.
“I’ve always been athletic and good with my hips,” he explained. “They say I’m the least stiff offensive or defensive lineman in the building.”
Florida tight end Arlis Boardingham probably thought White felt stiff when Boardingham was smashed between Walker and Keaten Wade on the play, leading to Trevin Wallace‘s interception for the Wildcats. The pick was up for grabs, but Walker never considered playing the ball with Wallace.
Walker was focused on something else.
“I was just looking to kill him,” he admitted to Staples. “When I looked and saw that he threw the ball to him, I seen the ball in the air when I started running to him, so I’m like, should I go for the ball or him? Then I saw Trevin Wallace start running with me, so, I was like, I’m just gonna kill him, and wherever the ball goes, it goes.”
“So you can’t lose that defensive lineman mentality?” Staples asked.
Walker replied, “I want to kill somebody 24/7.”
Getting used to double teams
When Walker isn’t covering tight ends, he is drawing lots of attention along the defensive line, where he can play any position. He is so good that he often attracts a double team from the offense.
He used to hate those.
“I really matured out of it,” Walker said of his past misunderstanding of double teams. “The first couple of games, of course, you’re gonna get frustrated because you want to go show everybody what you can do. But the coaches really told me, like, hey, if there’s two people on you, that’s eight on 11, or eight on 10.”
Those coaches are behind his confidence, too.
“Coach White and Coach Stewart really did help me gain that confidence to think that I could play everything, to learn how to play everything, to learn how to position myself,” Walker said. “Like, getting off in a two-point stance. I had to learn that. But it was just for me, playing around after practice, going with outside backers, trying to be a sponge.
“I can play the field, and I can play the boundary end, and I can play the nose, three-tech. I can play really anywhere on the defensive line. So, just do whatever I can to make the quarterback and their offensive line confused and more afraid of me. Because that’s going to end up helping my DBs, and my linebackers fit their gaps.”
Also in the conversation with Staples, Walker says he believed he could play wide receiver in high school if his team needed it. When he was 7 or 8, he played quarterback.
Hear Walker tell more with Staples below.
Deone Walker w/ Andy Staples
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