Tennessee football, Wesley Walker turn out to be the correct match
Wesley Walker didn’t have a desination in mind when he entered the transfer portal in February.
The former Georgia Tech defensive back simply wanted a different situation with a few criteria, which he found with Tennessee football.
“I wanted to come in and be coached hard and held to a standard of a pro,” Walker said. “So far, this is exactly what I wanted.”
Walker announced his transfer to Tennessee in March. He has four tackles in two games for the No. 16 Vols (2-0), who host Akron (1-1) on Saturday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
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The Lewisburg, Tennessee, native sought a new school after three seasons at Georgia Tech. UT was one of the first programs to reach out. He wanted to go somewhere where he could play at a high level and win against major programs in big games.
Walker’s desires ran deeper, however, into how he would be coached.
“I want to be held to a standard where even if I felt like I had a good day that I am told I didn’t do something right,” Walker said. “Just feel that pressure of being held to a standard every day. Being a pro because that is ultimately where I wanted to go. Just listening to the coaches and having them hold me to the highest standard. That is what I wanted.”
Walker looked into Tennessee and saw some potential positives. He was recruited by the Vols out of The Ensworth School in Nashville before picking Georgia Tech as a three-star recruit. His mother, Jasmine Abernathy, lives in Knoxville.
Then he visited.
Walker saw a professional attitude and approach to practices.
“The whole feel here is professional,” Walker said. “This is no shot at Georgia Tech because they are a well-ran program. It is different here. They trust the players to want to be great for themselves. It is not as tense in terms of always being on the players’ backs. They expect you to want to be great.”
The 6-foot-1, 204-pound Walker worked at both safety spots in the preseason as well as the nickelback position. He missed time with an injury and settled in as the backup nickelback behind Tamarion McDonald when he returned.
He had a sack at Pittsburgh on Saturday, the first of the season for Tennessee.
“It feels home and it feels good,” Walker said.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Wesley Walker chose Tennessee football as Georgia Tech transfer
