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'Taking the next step': Travon Walker talks growth, expectations after rookie season
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- 'Taking the next step': Travon Walker talks growth, expectations after rookie season
Travon Walker was standing in the home locker room of TIAA Bank Field for the final time of his rookie season. A crowd of media members were waiting to talk with the former No. 1 overall pick about his first year as a professional football player.
But there was one thing on his mind as he took his place in front of a Jaguars' backdrop.
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Growth.
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]
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A year ago, he was still riding the high of a national championship with the University of Georgia. He was preparing to be a first-round pick but hadn't emerged as the favorite to be the No. 1 overall selection in the 2022 draft.
Fast-forward to now, Walker is an integral part of Jacksonville's future.
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But the growth that Walker thought about wasn't categorized by his season statistics or his status as the top overall pick. It was the combination of moments from the last year. The lows, the highs and the realization that he's just scratching the surface of his potential.
Bouncing back from Houston penalties
A low of all lows came during Week 5 against Houston. With the Texans in a third and long, Walker jumped offsides and drew a penalty.
But he continued through the whistle and slung quarterback Davis Mills to the ground — drawing an unsportsmanlike penalty to extend Houston's drive. It ended up being the drive that set up Dameon Pierce's monster run and Houston's game-winning score.
A few weeks after the game, Walker spoke about the play and the growth that came out of it.
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"I know my emotions, Houston game, I'll just speak on [the] Houston game because that was a game that we could've won, and I felt like I was the reason that we lost the game," he said.
The play came in the midst of a five-game slide for Jacksonville. It was a stretch that saw Jacksonville go from a 2-1 start to a 2-6 record after a winless October.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) and defensive end Dawuane Smoot (91) talk after Walker picked up a penalty during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Houston Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 13-6. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
But it was a time of growth for Walker and his teammates. Coming out of that stretch they won seven of their next nine games to qualify for the playoffs and became darlings of the league as they played their way into the Divisional Round of the AFC Playoffs.
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"It's not about how we started, it's about how we finished. How the team came together as a group collectively to get things done," Walker said. "Our main goal at the end of the day should be to win a Super Bowl."
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson looks to first round draft pick Travon Walker as they laugh at a light-hearted moment 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]
Pederson, Baalke looking forward to impact Walker can have on future
Despite being drafted No. 1 overall, Walker wanted to be seen as a regular player.
"You don't have to refer to me as a first-round draft pick," he said in September. "I'm just a regular football player, just like everyone else."
It's that humbleness mixed with his lowkey persona that makes him a good building block of Jacksonville's future. Mixed with his ability to play in multiple positions along the defensive line — something Doug Pederson hinted at in his end of year availability.
Despite a stiff arm from Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22), Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) makes a tackle during the fourth quarter of an NFL football regular season matchup AFC South division title game Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Jaguars held off the Tennessee Titans 20-16. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
"He's excited for his future. He understands he can get better, and he can help us in different ways," Pederson said when asked about Walker. "He wants to take that next step in a leadership role, and I think that's important for him to do. That's the next step, to be a dominant edge rusher and even an interior rusher. We just have to find ways to utilize his strengths, and when he comes back, he'll be ready to go and eager to get back out on the field."
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Similar thoughts were shared by Jaguars' general manager Trent Baalke when he was asked about Walker. His stats weren't eye-popping from his rookie year, but there were more ways that he impacted the game such as attracting double teams or filling holes in the running game.
Oct 2, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Miles Sanders (26) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
"You're always looking at young players, and usually that step between year one and year two is the biggest jump that these guys have as players, but I think he did a lot of nice things," Baalke said. "That stat number that everybody has in their mind of sacks is, in a lot of ways, very overvalued. There's a lot of ways to influence a game, and I think Travon, you saw him do it, whether it be the run or the pass, he had an impact this year, and it's only going to get better from here."
With the Jaguars' brass throwing their support behind Walker and his growth, the confidence he gained from his first season in teal can go a long way for his career. A career that he's hoping to feature countless seasons of contending for the Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker (44) sacks and causes a fumble of Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)
"I feel like we have everything we need here already," he said. "Of course, there is going to be some people added and some people that won't be here as well. I feel like this year Doug and Trent brought together a team that really has all the potential in the world to definitely be Super Bowl contenders."
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As Jacksonville continues to move through the offseason, they can be sure of Walker's advancement and him trying to be the best player he can be.
That's growth.
Juston Lewis is a sports reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @JustonLewis_ .
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Travon Walker, Doug Pederson talk growth through Jaguars season
