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Pressure without tenure

Kenyatta Walker is a rookie, but he's expected to play like Bucs veteran.

By RICK STROUD

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 12, 2001

TAMPA -- Take the daisy chain approach to the Bucs season and it's easy to determine their most important player.

Tampa Bay's success depends on quarterback Brad Johnson, whose production depends on him remaining healthy, which depends on the protection provided by left tackle Kenyatta Walker.

Is that too much to ask of a rookie?

That depends.

It's one thing for the first-round draft pick from Florida to feel the pressure of a snorting defensive end digging in with his back foot like a toro about to make a bull rush.

It's quite another to feel the pressure of 52 teammates counting on you not to lose the Super Bowl rings they already have sent to the engravers.

So far, the 22-year-old Walker has done a pretty good job of protecting the quarterback.

Blocking out the frustration, the spotlight and the expectations is a tougher assignment.

"It feels good, but it's a lot of pressure," Walker said Saturday. "There's a lot of ups and downs I'm going to have this season. I've got to be prepared for it and prepared to take the good with the bad."

In the first joint workout Friday with the Dolphins, Walker experienced both in a span of a few plays.

First, Dolphins All-Pro defensive end Jason Taylor set up Walker like an episode of Blind Date. Faking an outside rush, he slipped inside of an overcompensating Walker during a drill for what would've been a sack and a sniff of smelling salts for Tampa Bay's quarterback.

But a few plays later, Walker engaged Dolphins defensive end Adewale Ogunleye and body slammed the 6 feet 4, 270-pounder to the turf with a thud.

"It's a learning experience, but I held my own," Walker said.

Why shouldn't he? Not only is Walker a remarkable young talent, he is learning his blocking techniques by facing tackle Warren Sapp and defensive end Simeon Rice every day in practice.

That's the equivalent to taking a computer programming class from Bill Gates.

"I'm giving him the rare ability to see speed he's going to see week in and week out," Rice said. "He's going to have the ability when he goes against the norm or even the elite defensive ends to play at a fast speed. However, he's going to see there are different dimensions to the game, like a strong bull rush, players that will more or less stand there and cut you all day. The war tactics of the game, which aren't really fair. When they're grabbing your face mask, jumping offside and they're letting it go. I think he has the ability and the chance to be something special. Sort of like a young Lomas Brown, with real good feet and balance."

The Dolphins' Taylor is similar to Rice in terms of speed and body type. But soon, Walker will be introduced to other styles.

"This whole rookie season, I think everybody is going to say hello to me," Walker said. "Everybody I look at on the schedule, every one of those (defensive) ends are good. From Hugh Douglas to Joe Johnson, there's a lot of good guys I'm going to be playing against.

"My first preseason game, I'm looking at Jason Taylor. And I know they smile because they've got a fresh rookie, like anybody else would. If I had a rookie I was going against, I'd feel like I'm going to school him."

By all accounts, Walker has been a quick study. "He's definitely a talent," Taylor said. "I saw him play in college and he's definitely got a lot of talent. We'll work for three days and hopefully he'll make me better and I'll make him better."

Johnson, who was protected a year ago in Washington by rookie left tackle Chris Samuels, said of Walker: "I haven't even thought of him over there. That's a good thing."

Another positive for the Bucs is Walker's athleticism will allow them to use both sides of the field in their outside rushing attack.

"He's very athletic," Bucs offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen said. "But the thing that makes him special is a lot of guys are athletic and passive, but they're not aggressive. This guy is aggressive. He's got a little nasty streak to him. He likes to run-block. I think that's what's going to make him special."

With Walker and second-year pro Cosey Coleman, the offensive line is suddenly among the most athletic in the league.

"We probably have four guys who are as athletic as anybody at their position -- Coleman, (Randall) McDaniel, (Jeff) Christy and Walker," Dungy said. "I think it's going to play into our strengths with Warrick (Dunn). I think we're going to be able to get him outside and do some things in the running game to get the ball outside. Our screen game we want to be better and think it can be with those guys. We think it is going to be tied in together."

The key for the Bucs is not to be lulled into a false security by Walker's talent and forget his inexperience.

They will have to occasionally move the tight end to his side and chip in on defensive ends with their running backs.

"You have to be careful not to say because he was a first-round pick and because he's so good, we can forget about him and the fact he's going to be a rookie for 16 games," Christensen said. "If in Week 14, we say, "We're okay now.' That would be a huge mistake."

Walker has looked at the schedule. The only other place he would find this many elite tight ends would be in Hawaii in February.

"Some days, Sapp will bring you back down," Walker said. "Some days you feel like a rookie, but I am a rookie and I've got to realize that. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I don't care who it is over there. I'm Kenyatta. Let's play."

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