Getty A video board displays the text "THE PICK IS IN" for the Carolina Panthers.
Former Houston Baptist defensive end, Andre Walker III, is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s NFL Draft class.
The 6’1 225 pound collegiate defensive end turned professional linebacker has captured the attention of multiple NFL scouts and team personnel.
Walker is arguably one of the best pass rushers in the 2020 class and has separated himself as one of the best FCS prospects available.
I’ve done a little digging and I found a pass rusher I like from little Houston Baptist. Andre Walker is an impressive speed rusher. 19.5 TFLs and 15 sacks as a Senior. Showcases good speed and hands on the outside. Hoping to see him at the Shrine game/NFLPA Bowl this year.
In his last year at Houston Baptist, Walker was second in all of division one in sacks per game. He averaged an impressive 1.25 sacks per contest which trailed only Ohio State’s Chase Young at 1.38 sacks per game.
Young will likely be a top 5 pick in April. On the other hand, Walker will probably be a day 2 or day 3 selection.
Yet, Walker has the potential to be one of those hidden gems selected in the later rounds of the draft that could immediately produce for a franchise.
Abilene Christian WR Josh Fink and Houston Baptist DL Andre Walker give the Southland Conference 4⃣‼️ Academic All-Americans! 📚💯👏
Walker’s attention to detail, commitment to precision, and ability to retain information quickly will make him a stellar professional football player on the next level.
However, his love for neuroscience could make him one of the most influential players the game has ever witnessed.
Brains and Ball
Walker is a New Orleans, Louisiana, native who was not highly recruited coming out of high school.
Even though Walker competed in the same high school district as some of the most notable names in college football such as LSU’s Kristian Fulton and Ja’Marr Chase in addition to Alabama’s Dylan Moses, he did not receive the same level of interest from those schools.
Did You See This:2020 NFL Draft Prospect Interview: Andre Walker, DL, Houston Baptist University t.co/fCVahcrAai #NFL #NFLDraftNews
The talented defensive playmaker admitted that he was small coming out of high school and only weighed 213 pounds. He was able to capture a few FCS offers but he decided to attend Houston Baptist to leave his legacy on an emerging program.
“I wasn’t getting a lot of attention,” said Walker. “Houston Baptist was a small school but I felt excited about working with the program and I just wanted to build up a legacy to help start something new.”
As a result of his decision to go to Houston Baptist, Walker would not only gain powerful football insight to transform his playing career, he would gain knowledge to transform the minds of others.
Walker graduated from his university after majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He maintained a 3.69 GPA while becoming a major force in FCS opponents’ backfields.
“A lot of times I would be missing practice because I was in lab,” stated Walker. “There were a lot of research experiments I had to do outside of class.”
“Even last season we tried to isolate a bacteriophage from sweat, ” Walker continued. “So, after every practice I would run up and collect everybody’s sweat. I was sitting there ringing out shirts and stuff.”
Future Plans
Walker’s commitment to both the classroom and the football field have helped create one of the most interesting prospects that we have seen come into the Draft in years.
The defensive standout plans to go to medical school when he is done playing football and wants to transition into becoming a neurosurgeon.
Walker has had a significant interest in the brain for awhile and says that he was inspired to study the brain when he realized the detrimental effects that the sport of football could cause on arguably the most important organ in your body.
“CTE is what actually sparked my interest in medicine,” said Walker. “Neurodegeneration is definitely something I am going to study in the future.”
For Walker, the future might be closer than you think. He may look to balance his science interests while testing different methods to get to the quarterback on Sundays.
“I’m really big on Astrophysics and all that type of stuff so you know who knows at that point, said Walker. “I’m really leaning toward space medicine as well too there’s really a lot of things I can do with it Just taking it day by day and doing my research.”