MANHATTAN, Kan. – For a third-consecutive season, Kansas State senior defensive end Reggie Walker was named to the watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which honors the top defensive end in college football, the Ted Hendricks Foundation announced Wednesday.
Walker, who is joined on the 2019 watch list by 36 other players in the country and two others from the Big 12, is the second player in school history to earn consideration for the award three times. Ian Campbell was a semifinalist in 2006, preseason candidate in 2007 and midseason candidate in 2008. Prior to Walker, Jordan Willis was a midseason candidate for the award in 2016.
A product of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Walker has 16.0 career sacks to sit two away from entering the school’s top-10 list, while his 30.0 career tackles for loss are nine shy of entering the record book. He is also closing in on the school record for forced fumbles as the eight in his career are tied for third in school history and one shy of the record.
As a junior in 2018, Walker tallied 35 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and 7.5 sacks. He finished sixth in the Big 12 in sacks and tied for eighth in TFLs. Additionally, Walker carded four forced fumbles, which led the Big 12 and ranked 10thnationally.
The 2019 Wildcats will have a chance to interact with fans and sign autographs this Saturday as the program will hold a “Meet the Cats” autograph session from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., on the concourse of Bill Snyder Family Stadium. The West Stadium Center box office and the K-State Super Store will be open for the event.
The 2019 season, the first under new head coach Chris Klieman kicks off next Saturday, August 31, when the Wildcats take on Nicholls at 6 p.m., inside Bill Snyder Family Stadium. Less than 1,000 tickets remain for the 11th-annual K-State Family Reunion. Tickets to that game, as well as the other six home games, are available by visiting www.kstatesports.com/tickets, calling 1-800-221-CATS or visiting the main ticket office inside Bramlage Coliseum.