Much of the attention when it comes to breaking Florida State records in 2016 has been on running back Dalvin Cook. The highly-touted junior is now less than 150 yards away from the all-time FSU rushing record, and has a great chance to usurp Warrick Dunn atop the list.
He is rightfully gaining most of the attention, but on the other side of the ball, defensive end DeMarcus Walker continues his pursuit of greatness.
Walker entered his senior year with only one full season of starts under his belt. He is one of the last players on FSU to have experienced the 2013 national championship run, having been a freshman who only got time in late game situations. He saw a dramatic increase in reps the following year, totaling 38 tackles but only one sack.
It wasn’t until 2015 that Walker made a name for himself at Florida State and established himself as a truly disruptive pass rusher. In that season, he tallied 10.5 sacks and 58 total tackles on his way to a second team All-ACC selection. Many thought he deserved even more recognition.
He’s making a strong case so far in 2016.
Including the victory against N.C. State on Saturday, Walker now has 52 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. He is now only seven tackles and 3.5 for loss away from matching his 2015 stat line. It’s not just last year’s performance however, that make his numbers look so good.
Walker has now moved into the No. 6 spot on the all-time FSU career sack leaders list, tied with Andre Wadsworth, Alonzo Jackson, and Eddie Brown with 23 sacks total. It also doesn’t seem all that unrealistic for him to continue to move up the rankings. Only half a sack separates him from the next two players above him in Bjoern Werner and Jamal Reynolds.
Even Ron Simmons, an absolute FSU legend, is only two sacks away. Though after that, it seems fairly difficult, considering that the top two players (Peter Boulware and Reinard Wilson) have 34 and 35.5 career sacks, respectively.
Consider this however: the three games left in the 2016 FSU regular season are against Boston College, Syracuse, and Florida. Each opponent has experienced offensive line struggles at various times throughout the year. Even if Walker only managed to get one sack in each remaining game, he would still finish at the No. 3 spot in the all-time rankings at Florida State.
Walker even has a great shot at moving into the top 10 for a single season. All he would need is half a sack to make it to 11 on the year, thus tying Carl Simpson (1991), Reinard Wilson (1994), and Cornelius Carradine (2012).
If the previous assumption of one sack per game is applied, he would once again move into the No. 3 spot. This time he would not be alone. Reinard Wilson (1996), Everette Brown (2008), and Brandon Jenkins (2010) would all keep him company.
But like many FSU greats, Walker’s legacy cannot be accurately relayed on a box score.
Already Walker has etched his name into Florida State lore with this season’s extra point block at Miami to secure the seventh straight victory over the Hurricanes. That’s not an entirely different reality from the 2015 game, where he harassed Miami quarterback Brad Kaaya all the way down the final drive, once again handing Miami another loss.
Who could forget his dominating performance at Florida last year, when he had a season-high eight tackles, 2.5 sacks and blocked a field goal to keep the FSU momentum? Or his ridiculous outing against Ole Miss to open 2016? Even on a struggling team with three losses, Walker continues to be the veteran presence leading the Seminoles to a strong finish.
Does anyone think they beat N.C. State without him? If so, what about Ole Miss or Miami?
No matter the situation, Walker continues to make his impact in both the wins and the losses over the past few years. If he closes out 2016 doing the same, he will enjoy a secure spot in both the record books and the memories of FSU fans for years to come.
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