Fresno State Athletics
Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno St/NCAA Phot
Mykal Walker: Home away from home
11/26/2019 10:00:00 AM | Football
When a student-athlete makes their decision on where to go to school to pursue their athletic career, there are a lot of question marks. Will I be happy? Will I bond with my coaches and teammates? Will the fan base embrace me? Will it feel like home? For senior linebacker/defensive end Mykal Walker not only did he find everything a student-athlete hopes for at Fresno State, he found a second family, a Bulldog family.
After playing football for two years in Southern California at Division II Azusa Pacific, Walker made the decision to transfer. He said that after he heard Coach Jeff Tedford was taking over the program at Fresno State, he saw an opportunity for himself and it was an easy decision to become a Bulldog.
The decision to come play at Fresno State was not just a fresh start for Walker, but an opportunity to come home to a place where he has so many connections. Walker was born in Fresno before his family moved to Sacramento. His dad, Michael, played football at Fresno State as a defensive end where he was a two-year letter winner in 1985 & 1986.
"My dad was a real inspiration to me," said Walker, "I lost him at a young age. He was a defensive end at Fresno State as well. It's really special to me that I am getting to play at the same school he played at and at the same position. He also played with (current defensive backs) assistant coach J.D. Williams in the NFL for a year, so that's another connection that we share. This is why I've always felt like my roots were here in Fresno."
Walker's passion for football started at a young age, engrained in him by his dad.
"I started playing football at six years old. I was actually too young to play, but the league allowed me to play because they thought I was going to quit. When I was seven years old my dad showed me his Fresno State ring and from that moment on I knew that this was what I wanted to do."
Walker transferred to Fresno State in 2017 after a decorated two years at Azusa Pacific, earning first-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) defensive team and leading the team in tackles for loss. He chose to redshirt his first season at Fresno State, which was a struggle for Walker and his competitive nature.
"My redshirt year was awful," said Walker. "As a football player, I have never not played. It was a very humbling experience. I used that year to sit back and learn from the players playing in front of me. I learned the things that, especially taking on a new position at defensive end. I needed to and it prepared me to have a great junior and senior years."
The redshirt year proved to be just what Walker needed as he hit the ground running his junior season. He instantly made an impact on the team, owning the second-most tackles on the team with 87 (38 solo), leading all defensive linemen in the Mountain West in tackles per game, averaging 6.1 per game and recording a team-best 14.0 tackles for loss (for 39 yards). The starting defensive end also recorded 4.5 sacks, logged one interception, recorded six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles. These impressive stats propelled Walker to an All-Mountain West First Team selection.
In one of his most memorable moments as a Bulldog, he recorded a career-high 12 tackles in the 2018 MW Championship Game against Boise State helping lead Fresno State to a 19-16 overtime win. Walker was named the Defensive MVP of the Mountain West Championship Game.
"The 2018 championship game is the most memorable game that I have had in my life," Walker said. "The experience that we went through, the highs and the lows of that game that says a lot about those guys on the field. I didn't even know that I won. I was running around and sliding in the snow. I was blessed to receive that honor. Every single guy on the field that night fought hard, so to be recognized as the defensive MVP of that
game really meant a lot to me."
When asked what he credited his standout first season in a new position to, Walker said his coaching staff and his teammates where the key to his success.
"I have to credit the success that I've had to my teammates and the coaching staff," said Walker. "It takes a lot of faith to put a player in a new position. To have Coach Cain and Coach Watts believe in me was big, because I was probably one of the lightest defensive ends in the country. I never thought that I would be playing defensive end but having the support of my coaches and my teammates helped me believe in myself."
The family that he found within the defensive line really made an impact on Walker, and made his transition the smoothest that it could go in his opinion.
"The defensive line, those are my guys," said Walker. "I eat with those guys, I lift with those guys, and I run with those guys. We do everything together. To have them accept me into their unit really helped me out. It helped me learn to believe in myself more than anything. I'll always look back on the way they embraced me when I first made the switch to defensive end."
Walker credits his success to everyone around him, although his coaches credit it to his incredible work ethic and his ability to lead by example every day which led Walker to be named a 2019 team captain.
"Mykal has been a great team player for us," Tedford explained. "He brings a lot of flexibility to us and he's a great leader for the team to look up to. He's one of our captains and he's well respected amongst his teammates. He's been a big part of what we've been doing for the past couple of years."
Walker doesn't take his role as a team captain lightly.
"As a captain, everyone is watching you. I have to lead by example. If I'm not doing the right things, then I can't tell my teammates that they need to do the right things. You have to do the little things all the time. You have to come to work every single day. I take it on myself to show the team that I have their back and that I'm doing everything that I can for the team."
His teammates are not only motivated by his worth ethic and attention to detail, but his energy. If you have been in Bulldog Stadium at a Fresno State football game over the past two seasons then you have been a witness to Walker's infectious energy and his passion literally leaping off the field.
He has inspired the younger teammates around him, "He leads by example. He sets the energy and the tempo of the defense," said freshman Levelle Bailey. "When he comes out, he attacks the field and he makes sure that everyone around him attacks too. He's a great leader. He has a ton of energy. He is always ready. You'll never see him down. Even after a bad play, he'll brush it off and tell us to get back to it. Even playing multiple positions this season, wherever the coaches put him he's going to make it happen."
Walker draws his energy from the Red Wave, how loud Bulldog Stadium gets under those lights and the defensive unit around him.
"Playing in Bulldog Stadium is the best experience ever," said Walker. "The crowd is yelling and your teammates are behind you, there's no better feeling than that. We have a passionate defensive unit, the energy that the guys around me have, inspires me every day. I feed off the role of being a senior captain. We all just feed off each other out there. When it gets loud in Bulldog Stadium, it gets really loud. When we are on third down, the stands are packed and loud, nothing compares to that."
Walker has a piece of home in Bulldog Stadium every time he steps on the field, his older sister Aunschele has not missed a game.
"My sister has only missed two games of mine in my entire life. I was a three-sport athlete in high school, so she has been to a lot of games. She makes every trip. She lives in Brentwood and does not miss a game."
Every game, every practice, every rep. He pushes himself to get better for his sister, his mom and his brothers. Every time he faces adversity on or off the field, they get him through it.
"The people that I have in the stands keep me going," Walker explained. "I don't come from the best background, but my family has always believed in me. Since a young age my dad used to tell me 'don't be average' and that really stuck with me. I write that on my tape every game. I almost stopped playing football, but losing him really inspired me to keep going. The people that I have around me inspire me to be better every day."
Walker continues to excel this fall entering Saturday's contest against Nevada and has continued to be a defensive leader for the Bulldogs leading the team with 7.5 tackles for loss while ranking second on the team in tackles with 80, 49 solo, and has added 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
Coach Tedford has also become a key person in Walker's life as the third-year head coach has been someone Mykal can count on being there for him.
"Coach Tedford has had a huge impact on me," said Walker. "Few know this, but Tedford and I have a really close relationship. When we are out of season on vacation, I will FaceTime him and he will always answer my calls. He is someone that I can really lean on. He is my head coach, but outside of football, I know that I can always call him and I know that he has my back. When you know that your head coach supports you like that, it is huge."
As Walker's senior year comes to an end and he prepares to graduate with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, he will walk away from Fresno State with his family to his right and his Bulldog family to his left.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
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Twitter:Â @FresnoStateFB
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After playing football for two years in Southern California at Division II Azusa Pacific, Walker made the decision to transfer. He said that after he heard Coach Jeff Tedford was taking over the program at Fresno State, he saw an opportunity for himself and it was an easy decision to become a Bulldog.
The decision to come play at Fresno State was not just a fresh start for Walker, but an opportunity to come home to a place where he has so many connections. Walker was born in Fresno before his family moved to Sacramento. His dad, Michael, played football at Fresno State as a defensive end where he was a two-year letter winner in 1985 & 1986.
"My dad was a real inspiration to me," said Walker, "I lost him at a young age. He was a defensive end at Fresno State as well. It's really special to me that I am getting to play at the same school he played at and at the same position. He also played with (current defensive backs) assistant coach J.D. Williams in the NFL for a year, so that's another connection that we share. This is why I've always felt like my roots were here in Fresno."
Walker's passion for football started at a young age, engrained in him by his dad.
"I started playing football at six years old. I was actually too young to play, but the league allowed me to play because they thought I was going to quit. When I was seven years old my dad showed me his Fresno State ring and from that moment on I knew that this was what I wanted to do."
Walker transferred to Fresno State in 2017 after a decorated two years at Azusa Pacific, earning first-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) defensive team and leading the team in tackles for loss. He chose to redshirt his first season at Fresno State, which was a struggle for Walker and his competitive nature.
"My redshirt year was awful," said Walker. "As a football player, I have never not played. It was a very humbling experience. I used that year to sit back and learn from the players playing in front of me. I learned the things that, especially taking on a new position at defensive end. I needed to and it prepared me to have a great junior and senior years."
The redshirt year proved to be just what Walker needed as he hit the ground running his junior season. He instantly made an impact on the team, owning the second-most tackles on the team with 87 (38 solo), leading all defensive linemen in the Mountain West in tackles per game, averaging 6.1 per game and recording a team-best 14.0 tackles for loss (for 39 yards). The starting defensive end also recorded 4.5 sacks, logged one interception, recorded six pass breakups, five quarterback hurries, recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles. These impressive stats propelled Walker to an All-Mountain West First Team selection.
In one of his most memorable moments as a Bulldog, he recorded a career-high 12 tackles in the 2018 MW Championship Game against Boise State helping lead Fresno State to a 19-16 overtime win. Walker was named the Defensive MVP of the Mountain West Championship Game.
"The 2018 championship game is the most memorable game that I have had in my life," Walker said. "The experience that we went through, the highs and the lows of that game that says a lot about those guys on the field. I didn't even know that I won. I was running around and sliding in the snow. I was blessed to receive that honor. Every single guy on the field that night fought hard, so to be recognized as the defensive MVP of that
game really meant a lot to me."
When asked what he credited his standout first season in a new position to, Walker said his coaching staff and his teammates where the key to his success.
"I have to credit the success that I've had to my teammates and the coaching staff," said Walker. "It takes a lot of faith to put a player in a new position. To have Coach Cain and Coach Watts believe in me was big, because I was probably one of the lightest defensive ends in the country. I never thought that I would be playing defensive end but having the support of my coaches and my teammates helped me believe in myself."
The family that he found within the defensive line really made an impact on Walker, and made his transition the smoothest that it could go in his opinion.
"The defensive line, those are my guys," said Walker. "I eat with those guys, I lift with those guys, and I run with those guys. We do everything together. To have them accept me into their unit really helped me out. It helped me learn to believe in myself more than anything. I'll always look back on the way they embraced me when I first made the switch to defensive end."
Walker credits his success to everyone around him, although his coaches credit it to his incredible work ethic and his ability to lead by example every day which led Walker to be named a 2019 team captain.
"Mykal has been a great team player for us," Tedford explained. "He brings a lot of flexibility to us and he's a great leader for the team to look up to. He's one of our captains and he's well respected amongst his teammates. He's been a big part of what we've been doing for the past couple of years."
Walker doesn't take his role as a team captain lightly.
"As a captain, everyone is watching you. I have to lead by example. If I'm not doing the right things, then I can't tell my teammates that they need to do the right things. You have to do the little things all the time. You have to come to work every single day. I take it on myself to show the team that I have their back and that I'm doing everything that I can for the team."
His teammates are not only motivated by his worth ethic and attention to detail, but his energy. If you have been in Bulldog Stadium at a Fresno State football game over the past two seasons then you have been a witness to Walker's infectious energy and his passion literally leaping off the field.
He has inspired the younger teammates around him, "He leads by example. He sets the energy and the tempo of the defense," said freshman Levelle Bailey. "When he comes out, he attacks the field and he makes sure that everyone around him attacks too. He's a great leader. He has a ton of energy. He is always ready. You'll never see him down. Even after a bad play, he'll brush it off and tell us to get back to it. Even playing multiple positions this season, wherever the coaches put him he's going to make it happen."
Walker draws his energy from the Red Wave, how loud Bulldog Stadium gets under those lights and the defensive unit around him.
"Playing in Bulldog Stadium is the best experience ever," said Walker. "The crowd is yelling and your teammates are behind you, there's no better feeling than that. We have a passionate defensive unit, the energy that the guys around me have, inspires me every day. I feed off the role of being a senior captain. We all just feed off each other out there. When it gets loud in Bulldog Stadium, it gets really loud. When we are on third down, the stands are packed and loud, nothing compares to that."
Walker has a piece of home in Bulldog Stadium every time he steps on the field, his older sister Aunschele has not missed a game.
"My sister has only missed two games of mine in my entire life. I was a three-sport athlete in high school, so she has been to a lot of games. She makes every trip. She lives in Brentwood and does not miss a game."
Every game, every practice, every rep. He pushes himself to get better for his sister, his mom and his brothers. Every time he faces adversity on or off the field, they get him through it.
"The people that I have in the stands keep me going," Walker explained. "I don't come from the best background, but my family has always believed in me. Since a young age my dad used to tell me 'don't be average' and that really stuck with me. I write that on my tape every game. I almost stopped playing football, but losing him really inspired me to keep going. The people that I have around me inspire me to be better every day."
Walker continues to excel this fall entering Saturday's contest against Nevada and has continued to be a defensive leader for the Bulldogs leading the team with 7.5 tackles for loss while ranking second on the team in tackles with 80, 49 solo, and has added 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.
Coach Tedford has also become a key person in Walker's life as the third-year head coach has been someone Mykal can count on being there for him.
"Coach Tedford has had a huge impact on me," said Walker. "Few know this, but Tedford and I have a really close relationship. When we are out of season on vacation, I will FaceTime him and he will always answer my calls. He is someone that I can really lean on. He is my head coach, but outside of football, I know that I can always call him and I know that he has my back. When you know that your head coach supports you like that, it is huge."
As Walker's senior year comes to an end and he prepares to graduate with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, he will walk away from Fresno State with his family to his right and his Bulldog family to his left.
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Â
Follow us on:
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateFB
Instagram:Â Fresno_State_Football
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Â
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