The Connection: I met Walker on the Stanford campus when he was a freshman. We ended up being KA fraternity brothers.
Quote of the Episode: "I remember after the All-American game, I was driving home from school one day and I got a call from a number I didn't know. I answered, assuming it was a coach, and it was the guy from 24/7 being like, 'Hey, you did so well, we're going to make you our number one overall recruit.' At that time, I was kind of like, 'Wow, I finessed the system. I don't know how I did this.’”
Bet You Didn’t Know: Walker was one of three 5-star recruits on his high school team, one of the others being current Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
In this episode of Under the Number, I went deep with Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Walker Little. As a former consensus five-star recruit and the #1 overall prospect in his class, Walker takes us through his journey from the world of elite high school football and the recruiting process to his life to day in the NFL.
Walker grew up in Houston, TX and attended Episcopal High School. By his senior year, he stood an imposing 6'7" and 315 pounds. "High school football was a blast," he recalls. "Being that big, it was just so easy. Grab a kid and just start running him until he falls over - easy pancakes again and again."
But the college recruiting process was anything but easy. Walker pulls back the curtain on the high-stakes world of official visits, uncommitted offers, and the pressure to stay in-state. "I had pressure from everywhere," he admits. "My school was 60-70% UT fans. So many dads were constantly saying 'Hook 'em Horns, can't wait to see you in Austin next year.'"
Ultimately, Walker chose Stanford, and the transition to college ball was a rude awakening. "It was definitely humbling," he says of his first training camp. "I remember thinking, 'I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to play at this level.'" But Walker persevered, becoming a rare true freshman starter and paving the way 2017 Heisman finalist Bryce Love.
Walker's path to the NFL took an unexpected detour when he suffered a season-ending injury in 2019, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. "It was a bizarre ending to my Stanford career," he reflects. "I never really got to play a final season."
Despite the setbacks, the Jaguars saw Walker's immense potential, drafting him 45th overall in 2021. He speaks candidly about the challenges of transitioning to the NFL after two years away from the game, and the awe-inspiring athleticism of the league's elite pass rushers like Micah Parsons, TJ Watt, and the Bosa brothers.
Looking to the future, Walker offers sage advice for young linemen: "Focus on being as athletic as you can. The NFL has moved towards quickness. Just have good fundamentals - that goes a long way."
Don't miss this insightful conversation with a rising star in the trenches. Like, subscribe, and catch every episode of Under the Number wherever you listen to podcasts!
