URBANA — There are endless famous fictional lawyers, from "Atticus Finch" to "Perry Mason" to "Ben Matlock."
All great characters. None of them actually tried a case.
Bobby Walker's career ambition was sparked by a real lawyer: family friend Mark Burden.
Like Walker, a junior tight end at Illinois, Burden played college football. He was an offensive lineman for Cornell in the late 1980s.
"We always used to talk about football when I was little and that he was a lawyer and he loves doing it," Walker said.
There have been other role models.