Walker fast becoming defensive star for Vols

"I really didn't pay too much attention to (recruiting rankings) because I always really believed when we all got up here we're all going to be on the same playing field."

Chris Walker

Chris Walker has spent much of his football career being the other guy.

Now, Tennessee fans know Walker as a potential star at defensive end. But they knew him as the other West Tennessee prospect named Chris when he and Chris Donald signed with the Vols in 2007.

It didn't take long before the other Chris was moved to defensive end. Then, his star power was barely a flicker next to Ben Martin, who had already been christened UT's next great defensive end before he even took a snap.

Donald and Martin were five-star players, sure things. As for Walker, well he was just about the quietest four-star prospect one could find.

Now, it seems Walker may actually be the best of the bunch.

The 6-foot3, 232-pound Walker all but locked down a starting job with a fantastic spring camp. He then held on to the first-team position with a solid preseason camp.

Donald was recently moved to defensive end from linebacker. Martin is slated to back up junior Gerald Williams at the other end spot opposite Walker.

Walker intently listens to his coaches at every practice. But it was actually ignoring others in the football community that helped him surpass others that were considered more talented.

"I really didn't pay too much attention to (recruiting rankings) because I always really believed when we all got up here we're all going to be on the same playing field," Walker said. "Everybody came from a program that was really good and we're all on the same level (in college).

"Hearing people say 'Oh he's just the other Chris,' or 'Oh he's not as good as this person,' it's just something that made me work harder just so I could prove to people, I'm going to be my own person, I'm not going to be that other Chris."

That's not bravado talking. Walker seems to have that healthy chip on his shoulder - not the kind that drags a player down.

Perhaps that comes from his mother, Gloria Walker. She always took star ratings in stride and taught her son to do the same. Resentment was never an option.

"I didn't let Chris buy into the rankings and the stars and all that," Gloria Walker said. "I honestly did not let him buy into that because I wanted him to realize that he needed to be where he was going to be on his own merit, not because somebody had given him a 3 star, 4 star, 5 star."

Chris Walker's humble, yet determined, approach to football has obviously won over his teammates.

Neither Donald nor Martin have any bitterness for the player that was once rated lower than them.

"I think that Chris had a mindset that he was going to come up here and do his best," Donald said. "He's worked hard. I'm happy for him and hope he continues to do good."

Martin and Walker are competitive, but that just begins to describe their relationship.

"We always have fun together," Martin said. We're best friends. We take things in stride."

Martin admitted that Walker's superb performance in spring practice sent a message.

"That's motivated me to pick myself up and get a little bit better," Martin said.

Martin had a head start. He played defensive end exclusively in high school. Walker would play end on occasion.

There was a time, Walker admits, when Martin was the better defensive end at UT. So who's better now?

"I don't know," Walker said with a smile, "we would have to see about that."

Walker's also shown he's not afraid to be a vocal leader during preseason camp.

During an early scrimmage, the Vols' defense was manhandled in the first series as the offense scored easily on a long, sustained drive. Walker responded by huddling his team and letting them know that a lack of intensity wasn't an option.

"It's just something I've been doing since I was little," Walker said of taking a leadership role. "When I was younger it was just a natural role for me. I've kind of grown into it here."

Gloria Walker saw that leadership in her son early in his playing career.

"Guys tend to look up to him," she said. "When he was 11, 12-years-old I could see that."

Walker struggled to be a vocal leader upon his arrival at UT - but he tried anyway.

"My freshman year, I would try to take that role and some of the older guys really didn't like that too much," he said. "But it was something I got used to, something they got used to, you know kind of embrace it a little more."

Getting on the field helped bolster Walker's credibility. That, however, took some time. Walker showed up on campus as a 220-pound linebacker. He was soon moved to defensive end, which required him to gain 15 pounds.

"When I first moved to D-end it was just a totally different position for me, a totally different world," Walker said.

Last year could have been his breakout season had it not been for Robert Ayers, who was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft. Yet Walker had as many sacks, three, as Ayers last season.

Walker and Martin both believed they could have done more last season. But in the midst of a 5-7 season, no one wanted to hear anyone complain about playing time. So they didn't.

Walker has no reason to complain this season. He's earned enough of his coaches' respect that he's a bona fide starter heading into the 2009 season.

Coaches have shown so much respect for him that they even excused him for some practices in the final stages of preseason camp to make sure he's 100 percent for the season opener against Western Kentucky next Saturday.

Despite all the off-season talk, highlight plays in practice and coaches' compliments, the opener will be special for Walker. He's played in 25 games but never as a starter.

"This is something I've been really working towards since I got here," Walker said. "When I came in I just always wanted to be a starter at the University of Tennessee. I've been really patient with that.

"It's been really difficult for me just because coming from Christian Brothers I was the man down there. It was really difficult for me to come up here and have that reality check, just actually have to be patient and wait my turn.

"It's been a long time coming for me and I'm kind of ready for it to get started."