Kenneth Walker III facts for kids
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Walker in 2026
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| No. 9 – Seattle Seahawks | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 20, 2000 Arlington, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 211 lb (96 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Arlington | ||||||||||||
| College: |
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| NFL Draft: | 2022 / Round: 2 / Pick: 41 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Kenneth Walker III (born October 20, 2000) is an American professional football player. He is a running back for the Seattle Seahawks in the National Football League (NFL). Kenneth played college football for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Michigan State Spartans. In 2021, he won two big awards: the Walter Camp Award and the Doak Walker Award. The Seattle Seahawks chose him in the 2022 NFL Draft. He became a Super Bowl MVP in the 2025 season.
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Kenneth Walker III's Early Life and High School Football
Kenneth Walker III was born on October 20, 2000, in Arlington, Tennessee. He grew up loving football. He went to Arlington High School. There, he played on the school's football team. During his high school career, he ran for an amazing 3,485 yards. He also scored 41 touchdowns. After high school, he decided to play college football at Wake Forest University.
Kenneth Walker III's College Football Journey
Kenneth started his college football career at Wake Forest. He played there for two seasons, in 2019 and 2020.
Playing for Wake Forest
During his time with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Kenneth showed great skill. He ran for a total of 1,158 yards. He carried the ball 217 times and scored 17 touchdowns. After the 2020 season, he decided to transfer to another university.
Starring at Michigan State
Kenneth moved to Michigan State University for the 2021 season. He quickly became the main running back for the Spartans. In his very first game with Michigan State, he had an incredible performance. He ran for 264 yards and scored four touchdowns! This was a huge start to his season.
His amazing play continued throughout 2021. He won the Doak Walker Award, given to the best college running back. He also received the Walter Camp Award, which honors the best college football player. Kenneth finished 6th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. This award goes to the most outstanding player in college football. He was also named a Consensus All-American. This means he was recognized as one of the best players in the country. After this successful season, he decided to enter the 2022 NFL draft. He chose to skip his final year of college.
Becoming a Pro Football Player
Before the NFL Draft, Kenneth showed off his athletic skills. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 211 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in a very fast 4.38 seconds. These numbers helped teams see his potential.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9+1⁄4 in (1.76 m) |
211 lb (96 kg) |
30+3⁄8 in (0.77 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) |
4.38 s | 1.49 s | 2.53 s | 34.0 in (0.86 m) |
10 ft 2 in (3.10 m) |
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| All values from NFL Combine | ||||||||||||
Joining the Seattle Seahawks (2022)
The Seattle Seahawks picked Kenneth Walker III in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft. He was the 41st player chosen overall. He made his NFL debut in Week 2 of the 2022 season.
In Week 5, he scored a long 69-yard rushing touchdown against the New Orleans Saints. He became the starting running back for the Seahawks later that season. In Week 7, he had a fantastic game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He rushed for 167 yards and scored two touchdowns. For his great play in October, he was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Month. He had several more strong games, including two with two rushing touchdowns. He ended his first NFL season with 1,050 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 165 receiving yards. He was one of only two Seahawks rookies to rush for over 1,000 yards. He was also named to the 2022 Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team.
Continuing Success (2023)
Kenneth continued to play well in the 2023 season. In Week 3, he gained 156 total yards and scored two rushing touchdowns. This helped the Seahawks win against the Carolina Panthers. For this performance, he was named the National Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week. He finished the 2023 season with 905 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had 29 receptions for 259 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
Dealing with Injuries (2024)
The 2024 season was a bit tougher for Kenneth due to injuries. He started 11 games. He still managed to rush for 573 yards and score seven rushing touchdowns. He also caught passes for 299 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. Unfortunately, an ankle injury in December ended his season early.
Super Bowl Champion and MVP (2025)
The 2025 season was a huge year for Kenneth Walker III. He started all 17 games for the Seahawks, a first in his career. He rushed for 1,027 yards on 221 carries, averaging 4.6 yards per attempt. He also had 31 receptions for 282 receiving yards.
His performance became even more critical in the playoffs. Another running back, Zach Charbonnet, got injured. This meant Kenneth had a bigger role. In the Divisional round game against the San Francisco 49ers, he ran for 116 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Seahawks won that game 41–6. In the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, Kenneth gained 111 total yards and scored a touchdown. This helped the Seahawks win 31–27 and reach Super Bowl LX.
In Super Bowl LX, Kenneth was outstanding. He carried the ball 27 times for a season-high 135 yards. He also added 26 receiving yards. His efforts led the Seahawks to a 29–13 victory over the New England Patriots. For his incredible performance, Kenneth Walker III was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. His 135 rushing yards were the most in a Super Bowl since Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII.
Kenneth Walker III's Career Highlights and Statistics
Kenneth Walker III has had an impressive career so far. He has played 58 regular season games in the NFL. He has rushed for a total of 3,555 yards and scored 29 rushing touchdowns. He has also caught 133 passes for 1,005 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns.
In the playoffs, he has played 4 games. He has rushed for 376 yards and scored 5 touchdowns. He also has 107 receiving yards in playoff games.
His career highlights include:
- Winning the Super Bowl in 2025.
- Being named Super Bowl MVP in 2025.
- Being part of the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2022.
- Winning the Walter Camp Award and Doak Walker Award in college in 2021.
- Being a Unanimous All-American in 2021.
