It’s been a good few weeks for Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker. The 2022 second-round pick has been one of the standouts of the NFL’s rookie class, hitting at least 88 rushing yards in each of his past three games.
He capped off that impressive run in style, trampling all over the Chargers defense to the tune of 168 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns en route to a 37-23 Seattle win.
Walker’s sparkling display caught the eye of many, including one Los Angeles fan seated behind the end zone.
Halfway through the fourth quarter of the Week 7 affair, Walker burst through the trenches on a toss play, exploding through a gap in the defense before tiptoeing 74 yards into the end zone.
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And as he found pay dirt, a particularly unruly Chargers fan let a pair of (flightless) birds go, giving Walker a double middle finger salute.
Kenneth Walker III’s last 3 games:
Week 5: 8 rushes, 88 yards, TD
Week 6: 21 rushes, 97 yards, TD
Week 7: 23 rushes, 168 yards, 2 TD
The @Seahawks RB hit 22.09 MPH on this TD run, the fastest ball carrier in the NFL this year, per @NextGenStats.pic.twitter.com/OwZxwb4Wgr
Kenneth Walker reached a top speed of 22.09 mph on his 74-yard TD run, the fastest speed reached by a ball carrier this season.@Seahawks | #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/BhFliV18v7
This picture is gold… Seahawks rookie RB Kenneth Walker’s 74 yard run, hitting a record 22.09 MPH, ends with a double bird from a Chargers fan ? ? pic.twitter.com/CBNh3vm4G4
Walker reached a top speed of 22.09 MPH, the fast of any ball carrier in the league so far. Yet even he couldn’t outrun his haters.
Walker took the playful disrespect in stride. In fact, he did more than that, acknowledging the iconic image on Twitter…
Tough? https://t.co/dSXEwXSqG9
…before changing his Twitter profile picture to the long-range shot of him seemingly saluting his Los Angeles-based opp.
Ken Walker’s new profile pic ???@Kenneth_Walker9 pic.twitter.com/728yLMY6PF
Walker’s teammates got in on the action, too. Tyler Lockett defended his teammate, telling his Twitter followers that the fan “should be getting a letter in the mail today,” a nod to the NFL’s system of fining players.
She should be getting a letter in the mail today. That is unacceptable lol https://t.co/TNfKv2n0r3
Walker humorously agreed:
Ya feel me T Lock!? https://t.co/8mk7vdIYeO
With Breece Hall’s ACL tear, Walker has sprung up the charts, emerging as one of the favorites for Offensive Rookie of the Year. One look at his performance on Sunday and you can see why.
His speed, agility and desire to keep moving forward have made him one of the most efficient tailbacks in the league, best evidenced by his stunning 6.1 yard per carry average. That’s among the top ten best yards carry rates in the league.
Ultimately, Walker’s stock is clearly on the rise. And it seems he’s perfectly equipped to handle everything that comes with that. Yes, even rowdy opposition fans
