Brandon Walker's Last Dance

Brandon Walker is a senior on the SIU football team. He recently took time to speak with Christopher Morrical of the Daily Egyptian.

Daily Egyptian: What got you started playing football?

Brandon Walker: First of all, my mother. She was big on football growing up. I had two older cousins who played for Central Missouri State University. Being from Kansas City, football is just a thing like going to school or going to church. My mom is probably my biggest motivator.

DE: How disappointing was last season?

BW: I didn't look at last season as being real disappointing. I look at it more as being a stepping-stone. Being 1-10, that's not as good as other people, but we had a young squad. We didn't have a lot of depth as in experience, so that paid a toll. It's something to look forward to something better.

DE: How much better is the team this year?

BW: This season is big. It's big this year. We have a lot of seniority. We have a lot of chemistry. This year is going to be a big year for us. We plan on going out and winning the first game and going on from there. We're looking to do the unexpected. A lot of people don't think we're gonna do this and do that. We're gonna show people that we've been working hard from day one, from after last season to now. We're gonna keep on getting better and better. This season, it's gonna be fun to see us.

DE: You're a senior. Your time is getting shorter here. Is there extra pressure in that?

BW: Yes. There's pressure for sure. This is the last dance. Anybody, when they do something they love, have got to go out with some kind of a bang, with a lot of enthusiasm. You want to make it your best shot. That's how I look at this being my senior season. I wanna go out there being a leader and helping these guys on their turn. I want to help these guys for when they are seniors. I wanna be a leader, more of a confidant for these young guys.

DE: What are your plans for after graduation?

BW: After graduation, hopefully, I can be a counselor. I'll graduate sometime next summer. Hopefully, I can further my football career. If that doesn't happen, then that doesn't happen. If it doesn't I always have my options. I love talking to people, helping people out. I want to go into counseling.

DE: Are you excited about playing at night this year?

BW: There's no feeling like playing under the lights. There's just something about it. It's been so long since it happened down here. This is a plus for the community; it's a plus for the football team and for the football program. Hopefully, it will bring people into the stands. The more people that back us, the more motivated we are going to be to go out and win. I think under the lights is a great thing. I hope for next year, and for years to come, it becomes a better and better thing.

DE: What is pregame prep like for you?

BW: I'm very emotional. I'm really to myself. A lot of people say I'm crazy. I cry. There's a lot of overwhelming feelings that I can't explain. I try not to show it by my actions, but by my playing ability. Pregame is something else.

DE: What is your favorite part about Carbondale?

BW: The atmosphere. I live in Kansas City, Kan. You don't get to see a lot of nice trees. You have a lot of people from St. Louis and Chicago who come from a city life. They don't get to see much trees and wildlife. I don't get to see that at home. Coming here there's a great atmosphere. It's a college town.

DE: Growing up, who was your sports idol?

BW: Jackie Robinson. That was grandfather and godfather's sports idol. I have this tattoo. (Shows the 42 on his forearm.) He went through so much adversity. Now, adversity to us is hot weather. Adversity to him was that people didn't want him to play because of skin color.

DE: What's your favorite television show?

BW: It's old, but Rescue 911. Me and my mom used to watch it every day.

DE: What was the last CD you bought?

BW: A rap CD. My favorite rappers are Eightball & MJG. They're from Memphis, Tenn. That's where my other family is from. That was probably the last CD I bought.

Reporter Christopher Morrical can be reached at cmorrical@dailyegyptian.com.