Getty Tracy Walker celebrates a big play in 2021 vs. Los Angeles.
Sometimes, when players hit free agency, they find it very easy to leave the Detroit Lions, especially if more money is dangled in front of them elsewhere.
Safety Tracy Walker is not built like that.
Walker is one of the rare professional athletes that still shows loyalty, and he did that this offseason when the prospect of moving on came up. Walker had offers elsewhere, but elected to stay with the Lions when all was said and done.
Some of those offers were financially lucrative, and would have netted Walker more money elsewhere. He didn’t let that faze him, though, and stuck around with the team that drafted him in the end.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, August 3, Walker talked about his decision in free agency. As he said, money wasn’t the driving factor for him whatsoever.
Detroit is home.
“When I made the decision to come back to Detroit I already knew. I love the game, and the money, some people play the game for the money true enough, but I don’t play it for that. I play it to be the best I can be and to build my legacy,” Walker told reporters.
Putting it even more bluntly, Walker knows where he’s at.
“When I made that decision and I came back, I knew I was home,” he said.
For Lions fans, this will be a special admission from Walker. The team loves the players that elect to stick around and show loyalty, so this might indeed be the beginning of a legacy for Walker.
With the contract decision out of the way, Walker can now set out to try and become a star in Detroit.
Dan Campbell: Walker ‘Man on a Mission’ for Lions
Entering a new season, Walker is ready to continue his development with the Lions. Last year, he played well with a bigger role on defense. This season, he’s looking for even more.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has seen Walker all offseason, and senses where he is ready to take things. As he said, he believes Walker is supremely motivated within Detroit’s defense to take ownership.
“He’s been a man on a mission”
“I could feel it in the spring. He’s been a man on a mission. It’s one of the reasons we wanted to re-sign (him),” Campbell explained. “I told him, this is your defense. You got to take the onus on. So what do you want to do about it? I love where he’s at. I love where he’s taking his leadership to. You can tell he’s taking it serious and it’s not just lip service. He puts the work in. He does take it serious.”
Already this offseason, Walker has talked about a desire to be more productive openly in terms of netting more interceptions. It seems he is understanding the whole picture as it relates to getting on the right track before a new season.
Walker’s Stats & Highlights
In his Detroit career, Walker has been solid since being a third-round draft pick in 2018. To that end, it was not a surprise the Lions prioritized a comeback for their defender.
His first season in the league, Walker managed to put up 21 tackles and 1 interception. From there, he has only taken on a bigger role and managed to play more meaningful role snaps. In 2019, Walker put up a solid season with 103 tackles and 1 interception. His 2021 season was even better with 108 tackles and 1 interception. Here’s a look at some highlights:
Walker will bring his hard-hitting ground covering ways back to the Detroit secondary, and he’s not going anywhere. In fact, he might only be set to improve.
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Tracy Walker: ‘I Knew I Was Home’ When Staying With Lions