|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sunday, September 6, 2009 9:47 PM CDT
'Hard work pays off' as Walters is a Chief
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
KANSAS CITY — Maybe Thursday’s tackle for loss wiped out by a teammate’s defensive holding penalty was enough to finalize Pierre Walter’s spot with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Maybe the free agent rookie from Eastern Illinois had already convinced coaches earlier in preseason camp.
All Walters knows is this: “I was out there trying my hardest,” he said. “Hard work definitely pays off.”
Regular season NFL paychecks are about to be headed Walters’ way now after he survived Saturday’s last preseason cut to find himself on the Chiefs’ 53-man roster.
“Obviously, I was in shock,” he said. “Words cannot even describe how I feel. It was like an out-of-body experience.”
Not chosen in last April’s NFL draft but getting the free agent call soon after that, Walters spent the spring and summer converting from his college defensive end position to outside linebacker.
Just getting to stay with the team on the practice squad sounded like a realistic goal for the free agent.
“That would have been great, just being able to stay here and learn with the team,” Walters said. “Going to the 53-man roster is unbelievable. I’m just really thankful.”
He also realizes this was no gift.
“I definitely worked hard starting in rookie mini camp,” said Walters, listed at 6-foot-5, 269 pounds. “I was in defensive lineman’s shape. They let me know I had to lose some weight. I did that. I got in shape to play linebacker. I studied film. I always had my playbook with me and I eventually learned all that. I just worked hard.”
This was even the case when the Westchester St. Joseph High School product came to Eastern.
“I’m just really, really happy for him,” EIU defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said. “He’s obviously worked for it. It’s amazing to think of him coming in here as a 220-pound string-bean freshman to where he is now. I just hope he can keep doing what he’s doing and put together a good career.”
Then again, Eastern coaches were not exactly shocked when Walters developed into a two-time NCAA Football Championship Subdivision All-American getting a chance in an NFL camp.
“He was skinny but he had the athletic ability and the frame,” Bellantoni said. “He was far from the finished product and probably still is. To move to linebacker and learn enough about the position to make it it’s pretty unbelievable.”
The work continues as Walters, wearing No. 67 as a Chief prepares for Sunday’s season opener at Baltimore and eventually could provide a confrontation of Eastern Illinois products when Kansas City is to play host to the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Tony Romo on Oct. 11.
“I don’t know if there have ever been two Eastern players in the same game,” Walters said.
Walters, who came to Eastern two years after Romo and as a senior won the Walter Payton Award, has more immediate priorities.
“I guess I’ve got to go apartment hunting and keep working on my football playing,” the rookie said. “Just because I made it this week doesn’t mean I’ll be on the roster in three weeks.”
So he did not plan to splurge on any outlandish purchases.
“I’m going to save my money as long as I can,” Walters said. “But with what I have I’m going to help out my family as much as I can. I’ve yet to see a game check yet. I’ll see how that feels.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
