AUBURN, Ala. – For senior defensive lineman Gary Walker Jr., the Auburn Family is more than a saying – it's a reality.
Walker followed in the large footsteps left by his father, former NFL All-Pro defensive end Gary Walker Sr., when he decided to attend Auburn for his college football career.
Despite being a dominant force with 13 sacks at Stephens County High School in Toccoa, Georgia, Walker's size prevented him from getting any top offers from colleges. His decision to come to Auburn was made more for academic reasons than athletic reasons. He wanted to take advantage of Auburn's fantastic pre-veterinary program; the opportunity to play football in the same jersey his father did was an added bonus.
So when Walker came to Auburn, he was a walk-on with big shoes to fill and a bigger chip on his shoulder. However, his work ethic and "lead by example" method quickly shone through and helped him become one of the team leaders.
"I always say actions (should) speak so loud, I can't hear what you're saying," Walker said. "If you look at the best leaders in sports, they were all tested. You have to have a different mindset to push through."
As a walk-on, it's a long, tough road of early workouts and playing on the scout team without the security of a scholarship, but Walker viewed it as an opportunity to go against the most talented players on the roster.
"I think being on scout team is really underrated in terms of an opportunity," Walker said. "I was getting to go against the guys on our team who are top NFL prospects, so if you do well against them, you stand out more."
Stand out is exactly what Walker did, and his hard work was rewarded in 2017 when he was put on scholarship in the presence of his coaches, his teammates -- and even his father, who drove the three hours from Lavonia, Georgia, to be on campus for his son's special moment.
"That's an incredible accomplishment – walking onto an SEC school and getting a scholarship," Walker said. "Now I just want to break my dad's old sack record (11 sacks in 1994, a mark broken only by Nick Fairley in 2013)."
With that challenge in the rearview mirror, Walker is ready to bring his trademark work ethic to a new challenge – being a senior leader in Auburn's football program. As he looks forward to the season ahead, he understands that there is a raised level of responsibility that goes along with his veteran role.
"Being a senior is hard," Walker admits. "You have to work that much harder to make everyone pay attention and want to match you."
But according to Walker, who graduates in May from the College of Agriculture, Auburn's team is in good hands with this senior class.
"I would say this is the most intact senior class since I have been here," he said. "This team, when everything is said and done, will be electric."