Biggest foe for Vols' Walker? Pain

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Tennessee defensive end Chris Walker (84) sacks Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (15) on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

Some days the issue isn't practice.

It's getting out of bed.

Sometimes the move Chris Walker is worried about isn't a spin past an offensive tackle.

It's making sure the Tennessee defensive end can walk without too much pain from his aching back.

When Walker is feeling healthy or a close approximation of it, few players have been able to match his impact for the Vols. The hard part for about a month has been trying to ensure he's available to do it on Saturdays, which UT has had plenty of practice with lately. Heading into a critical trip to Mississippi on Saturday (TV: WVLT, noon), that means Walker doesn't always get any during the week.

"Man, it's been a struggle," Walker said. "It's really frustrating at times just because there are some days I wake up and I feel great. There are times when I get out of bed and I really can't walk too well.

"It's just a matter of me being smart. It's coming out to practice and knowing the things that I can and can't do. The coaches know about it, the trainers know about it, so it's something that's good because we're all on the same page."

Certainly the UT (5-4, 2-3 SEC) playbook is more effective with Walker involved up front, and he appeared to be moving without any restrictions against Memphis.

He chased a man down from behind, he picked up his first solo sack since September and teamed up with Wes Brown for another before spending most of the second half on the sideline. That rest was surely good for him with a more physical test waiting from the Rebels (6-3, 2-3), but Walker has made considerable progress since pulling himself out of the lineup for South Carolina after warm-ups two games ago.

"Well, two weeks ago now, it was just like a stabbing pain, like somebody was stabbing me in my lower back," Walker said. "It was something that doesn't go away. When you lift your leg up, it hurt. When you try to move, it hurts. It's something that is very nagging, but there are times when it calms down and you really can't feel it. That's where I'm at right now, and that's good for me.

"When I was on the field, it felt great. There was not one time in the game Saturday where I was like, 'Oh, I need to pull up a little bit.' I was out there running full speed, out there having fun, out there making the moves I needed to, all the cuts I needed to, and it was fine."

The results were better than that, and for a team that has struggled at times to generate consistent pressure on the quarterback, a healthy Walker could be a difference-maker in the push for a perfect November and a more lucrative bowl invitation.

And both the Vols and Walker are doing everything they can to make sure he's on his feet and on the field for as much of it as possible.

"The training staff is doing a little bit of treatment that helps," Walker said. "They gave me some anti-inflammatory medicine that calmed my back down, mainly stuff like that helps with the little stuff that calms it down so I can walk. It's something that helps me out a lot to get ready for the game.

"It's just a matter of me taking it day by day, getting in the training room, getting the treatment that I need and getting the rehab that I need for my back."

It appears to be working. Against the Tigers, it was definitely worth getting out of bed for, as well.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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