'08 VA WR Deion Walker (Signed LOI to ND)

[rockne19]

deion,we have great qb's,great coaches,great academics,facilities,and great fans! what are you waiting for?

[fuzzingwhizbee85]

ESPN - Walker ready for the challenge - Insider

ESPN article on Walker

[johnnd05]

Originally Posted by fuzzingwhizbee85

ESPN - Walker ready for the challenge - Insider

ESPN article on Walker

Thanks! Go ahead and post the whole text (with a link) next time, so long as it's not premium:

ESPN 150 WR Deion Walker preparing for next level

By Jamar Hudson
ESPN.com

Updated: August 13, 2007

Deion Walker hasn't had much free time this summer.

Between lifting weights four times a week, running everyday, working to improve his route running and visiting family in North Carolina, Walker has not had much time to just relax and enjoy his summer just like any other 17-year-old.

And it's not going to get any easier.

For the past year, the 6-foot-4, 185-pound wide receiver has been one of the most heavily recruited players in the country. Following a junior year where the Christchurch, Va., native had 47 catches for 733 yards and eight touchdowns, the No. 18-ranked player in the ESPN 150 and ESPNU High School All-American game participant garnered over 40 offers from some of the top schools across the country.

Walker lists Florida State, USC, Virginia, Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan and Nebraska as his schools of choice. Yet, with a decision that will impact the rest of his life, Walker has chosen to take the slow road and take his time making his decision.

"I've been on a couple of visits," Walker said. "I just want to get into the best situation for me."

In searching for that best situation, Walker has a thought process not often found in recruits in this day and age. While he understands and has a desire to go to a school where he can grow as a football player, he also has the realization that one also needs a backup plan.

"I can graduate from a school like Notre Dame and basically be able to get a job anywhere I want. And at the same time, I can go to Florida State where they have a good reputation of setting you up for the NFL," Walker said.

Location is not an issue either. Walker says he won"t mind leaving behind the small community of Christchurch -- as long as where he ends up provides him with a good quality of life.

On the field, Walker has drawn comparisons to New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss, due to their similar build and speed.

The lanky Walker has long arms and is very smooth into and out of his cuts. He has very good foot quickness, smooth hips and is a challenging route runner who builds speed as he goes downfield.

"Most teams want me to play wide receiver, and some schools say I can possibly play quarterback," Walker said. "I have a couple of offers at defensive back. I’m taking it all in consideration."

For Walker, off the field is a a totally different story. As comfortable as he looks in the slot, he's the complete opposite out of uniform.

"I get nervous easily, especially when I'm not playing sports," Walker said. "I've had to meet alumni (of Christchurch) and people are always coming up to me in the mall talking about football and asking me 'Are you Deion Walker?'

"It gets uncomfortable."

Nonetheless, Walker still enjoys hanging with his friends playing NCAA Football on his Xbox. Even though he's undoubtedly the most sought-after player on the Christchurch School roster, that doesn't come between the bond he and his teammates share.

"Not at all, they've actually embraced it," said Walker of his recruiting being a distraction. "They're always there to help me go over paperwork, but we try to keep most of it out of the locker room."

With an enrollment of just over 200 and an athletic program that plays in low-level Division II, there have been concerns about the level of competition Walker has faced in high school and whether he will have trouble adjusting to Division I competition.

"I know what I need to work on," Walker said. "All I've been doing (this summer) is work out. I'm trying to improve my route running and work on coming in and out of cuts.

"I'll be ready."

http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2007...walker_275.jpg

[irishryan05]

Sounds like a down-to-earth, humble guy who would fit in well at ND. Hopefully we get him.

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Originally Posted by irishryan05

Sounds like a down-to-earth, humble guy who would fit in well at ND. Hopefully we get him.

I agree.

[OCIrish]

He comes from a small community, maybe it works in our favor with ND being a small school. Then again, it could really work against us. I'd love to land him, but there is some very stiff competition. If he comes from a school of only 200, that is tiny, my graduating class in HS was 385, and at the time, we were the smallest class in our HS at that time.

[dyrtdogg]

I agree that it could go either way. My graduating class was all of 15 people (and we were one of the bigger classes of that and the 12 years prior). In making my college decision, there was certainly an allure of the huge state schools, being a young man who wanted to experience something different than what he had known. I ended up going a different route, but that certainly was an appeal to me. Other classmates, however, didn't feel at all comfortable in such environments and focused solely on small schools. It is hard to say anything about someone's preferences in such matters without a solid knowledge of that person's attitudes and personal makeup.