Kenneth Walker III (wide receiver)

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Kenneth Walker III

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| current_team =

| number = 10

| position = Wide receiver

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|4|1}}

| birth_place = Brookside, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 9

| weight_lbs = 188

| high_school = John F. Kennedy (Richmond, California)

| college = UCLA

| undraftedyear = 2017

| pastteams =

Jacksonville Jaguars ({{NFL Year|2017}})*
Arizona Hotshots ({{AAF Year|2019}})*
Winnipeg Blue Bombers ({{CFL Year|2019}})
Pittsburgh Maulers ({{USFL Year|2022}})

| status =

| cflstatus =

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 =

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 =

| statlabel3 = Touchdowns

| statvalue3 =

| statlabel4 = Rushing attempts

| statvalue4 =

| statlabel5 = Rushing yards

| statvalue5 =

}}

Kenneth Walker III (born April 1, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins from 2012 to 2016. He was also a sprinter on the UCLA track and field team. Walker played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 2019 and for the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022.

Early life

Walker was born outside of the San Francisco Bay Area in Brookside, California, to Patricia Jones and Kenneth Walker II.{{cite news|last=Sawatzky|first=Mike|title=Running the right route now|date=July 3, 2019|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/running-the-right-route-now-512191312.html|access-date=November 27, 2019|quote=Walker hails from Brookside, Calif., just outside of San Francisco.}}{{cite news|last=Austin|first=Daniel|title=Stamps notes: Davis key to post-Hughes d-line|date=May 26, 2018|newspaper=Calgary Sun|url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/football/cfl/calgary-stampeders/stamps-notes-davis-key-to-post-hughes-d-line|access-date=August 27, 2019|quote=Smith isn’t completely alone in representing the Bay Area in the Stamps locker room, as first-year receiver Kenneth Walker hails from Brookside, Calif., just outside of San Francisco.}} He grew up in the East Bay in the dangerous Iron Triangle neighborhood of Richmond. His parents separated when he was in the seventh grade, and his mom raised Walker and his two older brothers as a single parent. In an attempt to keep her youngest out of trouble, she sent him to live in Oakley with his father, who had remarried. There, Walker excelled in both track and football at Freedom High School.

After Walker's sophomore year, his father divorced, and they moved back to Richmond with his mother. At Richmond's John F. Kennedy High School, he won three Junior Olympics titles in the hurdles and became an excellent student and a top-rated high school football player.{{cite web|title=Kenneth Walker III|publisher=UCLA|url=https://uclabruins.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/kenneth-walker-iii/2896|access-date=December 26, 2023}}{{cite news|title=Walker's path to UCLA had some sharp turns|newspaper=The Orange County Register|date=September 27, 2012|author=Janis Carr|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2012/09/27/walkers-path-to-ucla-had-some-sharp-turns/}} He received playing time in high school as a running back, receiver, punter, kick returner and quarterback.

According to ESPN, Walker received more than 12 scholarship offers to play college football. He orally committed in August 2011 to the University of California, Berkeley.{{cite news|title=Kennedy High-Richmond football player Kenneth Walker III orally commits to Cal|newspaper=The Mercury News|date=August 26, 2011|author=Jimmy Durkin|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/08/26/kennedy-high-richmond-football-player-kenneth-walker-iii-orally-commits-to-cal/}} However, he began to reconsider after Cal receivers coach Eric Kiesau left the school. In February 2012, Walker switched his commitment to the University of California, Los Angeles.{{cite news|title=Kennedy-Richmond receiver switches from Cal to UCLA|newspaper=The Mercury News|date=February 1, 2012|author=Jimmy Durkin|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/02/01/east-bay-recruits-kennedy-richmond-receiver-switches-from-cal-to-ucla/}}

College athletics

Walker enrolled at UCLA in 2012 and played at the wide receiver position for the Bruins football team.{{Cite news |last=Bolch |first=Ben |date=September 7, 2016 |title=UCLA receiver Kenneth Walker III is looking like one of the good-hands people |url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/ucla/la-sp-ucla-kenneth-walker-20160907-snap-story.html |access-date=April 4, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |issn=0458-3035}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.uclabruins.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2896|title=Kenneth Walker III - 2017 Track & Field Roster - UCLABruins.com {{!}} UCLA Athletics|website=www.uclabruins.com|language=en|access-date=April 4, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://dailybruin.com/2016/09/09/after-overcoming-hurdles-speedster-kenneth-walker-iii-seeks-nfl-shot/|title=After overcoming hurdles, speedster Kenneth Walker III seeks NFL shot|access-date=April 4, 2017}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.insidesocal.com/ucla/2016/12/28/kenneth-walker-iii-returns-to-richmond/|title=Kenneth Walker III returns to Richmond|date=December 28, 2016|work=Inside UCLA with Thuc Nhi Nguyen|access-date=April 4, 2017|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocregister.com/articles/walker-712172-coach-johnson.html|title=UCLA receiver Kenneth Walker III believes he will catch on as a leader|last=NGUYEN|first=THUC NHI|work=The Orange County Register|access-date=April 4, 2017|language=en-US}} He appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2012, missed the 2013 season with a back injury, and appeared in nine games in 2014, 13 games in 2015, and 11 games in 2016.{{cite news|title=Pro Day show earned Kenneth Walker a shot with Jaguars|newspaper=The Florida Times-Union|date=August 5, 2017|author=Ryan O'Halloran|url=http://jacksonville.com/sports/jaguars/2017-08-05/pro-day-show-earned-kenneth-walker-shot-jaguars}} He started nine games for UCLA in 2015 and seven in 2016. Walker had two 100-yard receiving games during the 2016 season: 115 yards and a touchdown on six receptions against Texas A&M on September 3;{{cite news|title=Kenneth Walker III posts career high as receiver for UCLA|newspaper=The Richmond Standard|date=September 6, 2016|url=http://richmondstandard.com/2016/09/06/kenneth-walker-iii-posts-career-high-as-receiver-for-ucla/}}{{Dead link|date=August 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and 114 yards and two touchdowns on two receptions against Arizona on October 1.{{cite news|title=Walker records another 62-yard TD catch; McKinley nets sack for UCLA|newspaper=The Richmond Standard|date=October 3, 2016|url=http://richmondstandard.com/2016/10/03/walker-records-another-62-yard-td-catch-mckinley-nets-sack-for-ucla/|access-date=January 18, 2018|archive-date=February 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226110741/http://richmondstandard.com/2016/10/03/walker-records-another-62-yard-td-catch-mckinley-nets-sack-for-ucla/|url-status=dead}}

Walker also competed as a sprinter for the UCLA track team.

Professional career

{{NFL predraft

| height ft = 5

| height in = 9 3/8

| weight = 188

| dash = 4.30

| ten split = 1.50

| twenty split = 2.53

| shuttle = 4.40

| cone drill = 7.28

| vertical = 32.0

| broad ft = 9

| broad in = 7

| bench = 19

| arm span = 30 1/2

| hand span = 8 3/8

| note = All values from Pro Day{{Cite web |url=http://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=125653&DraftYear=2017 |title=2017 Draft Scout Kenneth Walker III, UCLA NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile |website=draftscout.com |access-date=November 16, 2022}}

}}

= Jacksonville Jaguars =

Walker was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL draft.{{cite web|last1=Oehser|first1=John|title=2017 offseason: Undrafted free agents bring roster to 90|url=http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/2017-offseason-Undrafted-free-agents-bring-roster-to-90/b683e8d5-c997-46a8-aaa2-d3302b557676|website=Jaguars.com|access-date=July 12, 2017}} He was waived on August 14, 2017.{{cite web|title=Jaguars claim cornerback Charles James II off waivers|url=http://www.jaguars.com/news/article-JaguarsNews/Jaguars-claim-cornerback-Charles-James-II-off-waivers/433524aa-1e17-4487-9733-753ef09407e0|website=Jaguars.com|date=August 14, 2017}}

= Arizona Hotshots =

In 2018, Walker signed with the Arizona Hotshots for the inaugural 2019 season of the Alliance of American Football (AAF),{{cite web |last1=Nguyen |first1=Thuc Nhi |title=Former UCLA receiver Kenneth Walker III inspires through new children's book |url=https://www.dailynews.com/2018/10/10/former-ucla-receiver-kenneth-walker-iii-inspires-through-new-childrens-book/ |website=Daily News |access-date=December 17, 2018 |date=October 10, 2018}} but was waived in January 2019 as part of the final roster cuts before the season opener.{{cite news |title=Arizona Hotshots Week One Game Time Changed |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/arizona-hotshots-week-one-game-time-changed/n-5444144 |website=oursportscentral.com |date=February 2, 2019 |access-date=February 12, 2019}}

= Winnipeg Blue Bombers =

Walker signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on March 18, 2019. He was released during final roster cuts on June 9, but was re-signed to the team's practice roster the same day. Walker was promoted to the active roster on July 18 to replace injured kick returner Charles Nelson.{{cite news|last=Allen|first=Taylor|title=Matthews to watch Lawler play in his spot again|date=July 18, 2019|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/matthews-to-watch-lawler-play-in-his-spot-again-512923132.html|access-date=November 27, 2019}} In his first CFL game in Week 6, he returned nine punts for 97 yards and one kickoff for 26 against the Ottawa Redblacks.{{cite web|last=Tait|first=Ed|title=UPON FURTHER REVIEW: OTT 1 WPG 31|date=July 20, 2019|website=BlueBombers.com|url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2019/07/20/upon-review-ott-1-wpg-31/|access-date=November 27, 2019}} In the following week versus the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Walker fumbled one punt return and had another fumble overturned on a penalty.{{cite news|last=Sawatzky|first=Mike|title=Bombers lnjured list grows: Alexander helped off field at practice|date=July 29, 2019|newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/bombers-lnjured-list-grows-alexander-helped-off-field-at-practice-513366982.html|access-date=November 27, 2019|quote=Rookie punt returner Kenny Walker had his problems holding onto the ball in Hamilton, fumbling once and having another fumble overturned by a no-yards penalty.}} He also received playing time at receiver after in-game injuries to their corps.{{cite news|last=Tait|first=Ed|title=UPON FURTHER REVIEW: WPG 15 HAM 23|date=July 27, 2019|website=BlueBombers.com|url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2019/07/27/upon-review-wpg-15-ham-23/|access-date=November 27, 2019}} After his off game, he was replaced in the lineup by Janarion Grant.{{cite news|last=Hamilton|first=Jeff|title=Speedy Grant winning over Winnipeg teammates|date=August 13, 2019|newspaper=Winnepeg Free Press|url=https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/speedy-grant-winning-over-winnipeg-teammates-538816992.html|access-date=November 27, 2019|quote=It wasn't until an injury to Charles Nelson and an off game by Kenny Walker that Grant was inserted into the lineup.}} The Blue Bombers won the 107th Grey Cup against Hamilton with Walker on the practice roster.{{cite web|title=HAMILTON TIGER-CATS vs WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS|publisher=Winnipeg Blue Bombers|url=https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GREY-CUP-rosters.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127114716/https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/GREY-CUP-rosters.pdf|archive-date=November 27, 2019}}

= Pittsburgh Maulers =

Walker signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League (USFL) on May 6, 2022.{{cite tweet |user=USFLMaulers |title=Roster Updates |number=1522471241830989825 |date=May 6, 2022 |access-date=May 6, 2022}} He was released four days later.{{cite tweet |user=USFLMaulers |title=Roster Updates |number=1524201198068199424 |date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=May 10, 2022}}