68 Days Until FSU Football: DeMarcus Walker’s 68 Tackles Bolster 2016 Season

There are now 68 days remaining until Florida State football takes the field against Virginia Tech for the 2018 season opener. As part of the offseason, we’re doing a countdown that highlights players, games, and specific moments from FSU football history.

On Tuesday, it was former wide receiver Barry Smith catching 69 passes during his dominant 1972 season.

Today, it’s former defensive end DeMarcus Walker and his 68 tackles during his All-American 2016 season.

DeMarcus Walker took the crown as top defender on the 2016 FSU team. While his 68 tackles are the namesake of this piece, how he got those tackles is what many fans will always remember.

Draftniks and recruiting analysts alike throw around the term “high motor” to describe certain players. Possessing a high motor means that one does not take a play off — they are constantly giving 110 percent effort and leaving it all out on the field. For a defensive end, this means that they’re always fighting through a block or pursuing a play, even if it’s moving away from their area.

DeMarcus Walker was a textbook example of the high motor trait. Never the most physically imposing or athletically gifted, Walker managed to churn out incredibly productive seasons with FSU because of his commitment to the craft. None more than 2016, where he became the emotional leader of an FSU defense that struggled to find its footing to begin the year.

He was by far the most consistent and certainly the most impactful defender. In addition to the 68 tackles, Walker recorded 19.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks, while also chipping in with three forced fumbles. He was a fearsome pass rusher who dominated not with raw speed or athleticism, but with technique.

The final number that deserves to be noted: one blocked PAT, which came against the Miami Hurricanes after they had scored what was supposed to be the game-tying touchdown. On a play where most defenders would just go through the motions, Walker used that high motor of his to break through the line and get his hand on the ball to preserve a 20-19 victory.

Walker left Florida State in third place for career sacks (28.5) and tied for second in single season sacks. Not surprisingly, his 2016 season garnered him Consensus All-American honors and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award.