LCA football's star quarterback and UL football commit Braylon Walker is out to prove he can make an impact no matter what position he plays.
Every opponent facing Lafayette Christian Academy this season knows about No. 7, the speedy quarterback, Braylon Walker.
The senior dual-threat quarterback has been lighting folks up, leading his Knights to a 3-1 start so far this season. With an arm to back up his legs, Walker will be staying at home to play Division I ball for Louisiana Ragin’ Cajun football — only he won’t be doing so as a quarterback.
He’ll be making a transition to cornerback next fall for the Cajuns, trying to prove he can truly help a team win no matter where he’s at on the field.
“I really only saw myself as like playing quarterback but then me and my dad and my mom had a conversation,” Walker said. “With my God-given talent and abilities, and my athletic capabilities, I could be used elsewhere. I started to become okay with that and I started to practice and really see how good I could be at these positions.”
‘It’s special when seven has the ball’
According to Walker, his recruitment process was a little hectic for the 5-foot-11 and 160 pounder. Throughout his high school career, he has made a name for himself on offense as a slippery quarterback who also has an arm on him. But at the next level, playing quarterback isn’t guaranteed.
“Around camp season, the time we’re supposed to go show like where you’d be best at or where you could fit at and I had a hamstring injury I suffered during track so it was hectic," Walker said. “But UL came around and Coach Des (Michael Desormeaux) is a phenomenal coach and they had a plan set out for me.”
The potential plan for Walker is to get him in the secondary where he can utilize both his track and football speed. Despite his pending move to the other side of the ball, Walker is still locked in on being the best quarterback he can be in his final season as a Knight.
“I’m solely focused on winning the state championship with my guys right now,” Walker said. “Now of course after the season, I’m gonna give 110% into going and pursuing my dreams in college. But as of now after practice (and) during the weekends, I’m throwing the football right now.”
So far this season, Walker and the Knights have been behind some unforgettable victories and at the center of it was their QB1. He has thrown for 548 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, Walker is the Knights' second-leading rusher with 430 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 47 carries.
With Walker at the helm of their offense, the Knights are averaging close to 32 points per game so far this season. Along with Walker’s much-needed offensive contributions, he’s also been playing two ways in the Knights' secondary, preparing him for what’s to come as a possible future cornerback.
“He’s the type of kid that the more the balls in his hands, the better we feel about our chances,” LCA football coach Matt Standiford said. “He’s repped some defense, he played a little defense against Carencro and did some over the summer so we’re going to do our part to make sure he’s prepared. But at the end of the day, it’s special when seven has the ball.”
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LCA football's Braylon Walker wants to prove he can win at any position
Category: General Sports
