Kenneth Walker III (wide receiver) facts for kids
| No. 10 | |
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| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | April 1, 1994 Brookside, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight: | 188 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | John F. Kennedy (Richmond, California) |
| College: | UCLA |
| Undrafted: | 2017 |
| Career history | |
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Kenneth Walker III (born April 1, 1994) is an American former professional football player. He played as a wide receiver. Kenneth played college football for the UCLA Bruins from 2012 to 2016. He was also a sprinter on the UCLA track and field team. Walker played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019 and for the Pittsburgh Maulers in 2022.
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Kenneth Walker III's Early Life
Kenneth Walker III was born in Brookside, California. This area is near the San Francisco Bay Area. His parents are Patricia Jones and Kenneth Walker II. He grew up in Richmond, California, in a neighborhood called the Iron Triangle.
When Kenneth was in seventh grade, his parents separated. His mom raised him and his two older brothers. To help Kenneth stay focused and out of trouble, his mom sent him to live with his dad in Oakley. There, Kenneth was great at both track and football while attending Freedom High School.
High School Football and Track
After Kenneth's second year of high school, his father got divorced. Kenneth then moved back to Richmond to live with his mother. At John F. Kennedy High School in Richmond, he won three Junior Olympics titles in hurdles. He also became an excellent student and one of the best high school football players.
In high school, Kenneth played many different positions in football. He was a running back, receiver, punter, kick returner, and even a quarterback.
Choosing a College Team
Kenneth received many scholarship offers to play college football. He first said he would go to the University of California, Berkeley in August 2011. However, he started to change his mind when a coach from Cal left the school. In February 2012, Kenneth decided to go to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) instead.
College Sports Career
Kenneth Walker III started at UCLA in 2012. He played as a wide receiver for the Bruins football team. In his first year (2012), he played in 12 games. He missed the 2013 season because of a back injury.
After his injury, he played in nine games in 2014, 13 games in 2015, and 11 games in 2016. He was a starter in nine games for UCLA in 2015 and seven games in 2016.
Top College Games
During the 2016 season, Kenneth had two games where he caught passes for over 100 yards.
- On September 3, he gained 115 yards and scored a touchdown against Texas A&M. He caught six passes in that game.
- On October 1, he gained 114 yards and scored two touchdowns against Arizona. He caught two passes in that game.
Kenneth also ran track for the UCLA team as a sprinter.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Kenneth Walker III tried to make it in professional football.
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand size | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9+3⁄8 in (1.76 m) |
188 lb (85 kg) |
30+1⁄2 in (0.77 m) |
8+3⁄8 in (0.21 m) |
4.30 s | 1.50 s | 2.53 s | 4.40 s | 7.28 s | 32.0 in (0.81 m) |
9 ft 7 in (2.92 m) |
19 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars signed Kenneth Walker III in 2017. He was a player who was not chosen in the 2017 NFL draft. However, the Jaguars released him on August 14, 2017.
Arizona Hotshots
In 2018, Kenneth signed with the Arizona Hotshots. This team was part of a new league called the Alliance of American Football (AAF). But he was released in January 2019 before the first season began.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Kenneth signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on March 18, 2019. He was released on June 9 during the final team selections. However, he was signed back to the team's practice squad on the same day.
On July 18, he was moved to the main team. He took the place of an injured player. In his first CFL game, he returned nine punts for 97 yards. He also returned one kickoff for 26 yards. This was against the Ottawa Redblacks.
In the next game, Kenneth dropped the ball on one punt return. Another dropped ball was called back because of a penalty. He also played as a receiver when other players got hurt during the game. After that game, another player took his spot in the lineup. The Blue Bombers won the 107th Grey Cup, which is like their championship, while Kenneth was on the practice team.
Pittsburgh Maulers
Kenneth Walker III signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the United States Football League (USFL) on May 6, 2022. He was released just four days later.
