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Shooting for the stars: Travon Walker hosts youth camp, aims to be best pass rusher in NFL
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- Shooting for the stars: Travon Walker hosts youth camp, aims to be best pass rusher in NFL
Roughly 4 1/2 hours north of Jacksonville , where sandy beaches are no more and hardened red clay can be found, Jacksonville Jaguars pass rusher Travon Walker hosted his second annual youth camp in his hometown of Thomaston, Ga.
The camp featured two days of workouts and drills on the same fields Walker used to roam. He not only spent time with campers as they competed, but he also took every picture he was asked for and signed every autograph.
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Wedged in between it all, there was hope. Hope that one day there'll be a kid that makes it as far as he did.
Jacksonville Jaguars first round draft pick Travon Walker, center, is flanked by his father and mother, Stead Walker and Lasonia Walker, respectively, as he holds up his new jersey during a press conference Friday, April 29, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. Walker, a defensive lineman from the University of Georgia, was the overall No. 1 pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022 NFL Draft. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
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"These were the same fields that I was out here grinding on," Walker said at the conclusion of the event. "We had camps as well, but we didn't have anybody that played big time in the NFL for a minute.
"It really means a lot just to be back on my home turf with a lot of the guys from not only just my hometown, but a lot of surrounding counties too."
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The camp is put on by Walker's foundation and organized by his family and friends with support of several community partners. It makes it even more special for him because of the deep lying ties and effort put in by his circle.
Walker said his family saw sleepless nights while organizing the camp, but they still showed up bright and early to help make it a success.
"It really just means a lot seeing my family, how hard they work," Walker said. "With me being put in a position to help kids, and them not even knowing how big of an impact or how big of a plate they were going to be given as well. It really just means a lot to see them support me and still be behind me."
The camp serves dual purposes. There's the giving back aspect, which can have immeasurable impact on the lives of the kids who attend the camp. But there's also the additional interactions that normally come few and far between.
It's difficult to organize events like this during the season because of the strict schedule players follow — often measured down to the minute.
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"During the season we don't really get a lot of time, other than walking into a stadium and out of the stadium, to interact with fans," he said. "But this is a more hands-on feel. You can get with the kids and kids can ask you questions. I feel like it really goes a long way for them and for me, just seeing the smiles on the kids face and [to] see that I'm making somebody's day."
Walker could have jettisoned to some extravagant vacation after being dismissed for summer vacation by the Jaguars. But instead, he returned home to give back to his community.
Now that the camp is over, he still won't be taking any extensive time off. He's focused on preparing for training camp and the season as he enters his third year in the NFL.
"We working," he said with a smile. "We working."
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'The upward slope': Walker using Lawrence, Allen extensions as motivation
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) goes in for the sack on Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) early in the second quarter. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Carolina Panthers at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, FL Sunday, December 31, 2023. The Jaguars went in at the half with a 9 to 0 lead. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
One reason for Walker's motivation can be attributed to the two massive contracts the franchise worked out this offseason.
His pass rushing mate Josh Allen signed a five-year, $141 million deal in April and Trevor Lawrence signed a five-year, $275 million deal in June, which made him tied for the highest earning player in the NFL on a yearly average.
"That's all fuel," Walker said when asked about how much motivation he gets from seeing their contract extensions. "I see how hard those guys work, those two that you just named, those guys come in early. I see them leaving late.
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"All the hard work, you just see it paying off in the end. That's how it's supposed to be. It just fuels me to keep getting better."
Last season saw Walker record double-digit sacks for the first time in his career. He jumped from 3.5 sacks as a rookie to 10 in his second season.
He referenced the upward slope he was on and wanted to continue at the end of last season. Six months later and he's still focused on continuing that same climb.
Walker not only wants his play on the field to step up, but he wants his leadership to take a step forward. He's expecting it of himself, and he said he knows his team is expecting it of him.
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"It's not coming fast enough. With the long break that we had this offseason, it really gave me a lot of time to just go back and rethink a lot of things," he said. "Just reevaluate myself as a person, in general. The team, myself, we all on the upward slope. We all have the same goal which is a Super Bowl at the end of the day."
Shooting for the stars: Walker doesn't feel pressure, aiming to become one of the best in the league
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) takes to the field through the tunnel before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Texans won 13-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Being back on the football fields in Thomaston shows how far Walker has come on his journey. When he's standing on the fields of the Miller Electric Center in Jacksonville, he shows how far he could go.
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His teammate, Arik Armstead , said Walker has the ability to be the best edge rusher in the NFL. Walker told the Times-Union he's " nowhere near where I want to be " earlier this offseason.
So what does that mean for the former No. 1 overall pick as he enters his third season in the NFL?
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) warms up before a regular season NFL football matchup Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in overtime. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
"I wouldn't say that puts something heavy on my shoulder, but it just gave me another star out there in the universe to shoot for," Walker said when asked about Armstead's comments. "Who knows how many stars it is in the universe? Who said it's only to be one star in the league? I want to come out there and handle my business and live up to that."
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The Jaguars handed out their two biggest contracts in franchise history this offseason. If Travon Walker has his way, soon they'll be handing out the third.
Juston Lewis is a Jacksonville Jaguars beat reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on the website formerly known as Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars' Travon Walker working hard during offseason with eye to 2024
