At a cool and windy practice Thursday, D’Andre Walker stood at the front of a group of outside linebackers for the first time in his college career.
For three years, Walker waited in line. The older outside linebackers — Davin Bellamy, Lorenzo Carter, Jordan Jenkins, Leonard Floyd — ran through drills first. Walker stood and watched before his turn arrived. All those older players are gone now, off to the NFL.
This spring, every time the position starts a new activity, Walker goes first. Now the elder statesman at a vital position in Georgia’s 3-4 defense, Walker wants to become a leader and a player his coaches can depend on every down.