Speaker 1: For two hundred and twenty three yards and two touchdowns
for the Trojans. Appeared in eleven games, making three starts
as a true freshman, so got the ball out as
a freshman too, served a mission for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints in Norway prior to
arriving at USC, and, as it mentioned, a four star
recruit that was touted as the number two tight end
in the nation by ESPN and the number four by Rivals,
number nine by twenty four to seven Sports, and number
thirteen by ON three, right as the number eight player
in the state of California once upon a time by
Rivals and then number nine by ESPN, number eleven by
twenty four seven, and number fifteen by ON three. He
was selected to participate in the twenty twenty three Under
Armour All American Game, where he was honored as the
All American balls Man of the Year for his high
standard of excellence in community service and athletic distinction, and
as a junior selected to the twenty twenty one Max
Preps California All State Second Team. In twenty twenty one
Max Preps All San Joaquin Section Football Team. Now he's
a BYU cougar brought his talents to Pro Bowl along
with his brother, and I was able to catch up
with him, uh earlier this week. And you're gonna you're
gonna wanna get to know Walker Lions. Here. The segment's
gonna be brought to you by Central Garage Utah. Central
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Walker Lions BYU tight End and gonna be a part
of that twelve personnel package that Kugarnation loves this season.
All right, we got BYU tight End, Walker Lions here,
Walker House practice today.
Speaker 3: It's good.
Speaker 4: Iss a good day, lots of lots of take and
learn from, made some good plays, made some some bad ones,
but that's kind of part of spring and sounds good.
Speaker 3: But overall was good, good competition stuff.
Speaker 1: Yeah, how's the transition been for you from from USC
to b YU with it?
Speaker 2: Has it been smooth? A little bumpy along the way.
Speaker 3: No, I mean it's been really smooth. It's been really seamless.
Speaker 4: And for me, it kind of feels like in a way,
I don't know, it doesn't feel like a restart for me.
I feel like I kind of was very familiar with
the program, very familiar with a lot of coaching staff,
even teammates, even just students, and so I everythink has
been pretty seamless, been been a good transition. I haven't
felt like, you know, kind of like I've been trying
to catch up to speed. I think maybe not a
little bit, a little bit right in the beginning, but
overall it was good and I'm feeling good now. And
you know, as far as football goes, there's a little
little differences here and there, but for the most part,
you know, it's college football.
Speaker 3: It's gonna be very and learn. As far as talent goes.
Speaker 4: You know, we we have we have talent and we
got guys, so it's been great.
Speaker 1: Was it a difficult decision for you to enter the
portal and and uh, you know, find your next home?
What what were some of the catalysts to kind of
push you into the portal?
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was definitely a difficult decision.
Speaker 4: And there was no hard feelings about me leaving or
it wasn't any like perse like, there wasn't there was
nothing that you know, really was I guess like that
pushed me over the edge. I think it was just
you know, a little little things that I felt maybe
could be fulfilled other places in my life. And so
I think for me making that decision was it was
it was tough at the time. And then as I
was exploring options in the portal, was exploring where I
kind of wanted to finish my college career ultimately, like
be what was really the place I wanted to be?
And you know, there's other schools that reached out and
talk to a little bit. But I honestly made the
decision before I've been visited here before I before I
even moved, I signed a lease, moved out here before
even coming, and it was kind of a done deal.
Speaker 1: So yeah, I think, Yeah, during your recruiting process, how
many times would you come down to Probo on the
that initial recruiting parade.
Speaker 4: Oh, I mean, I mean more than more than a
handful of times, probably five six times. Yeah, so quite often.
And I mean in high school, I probably went to three.
Speaker 3: Or four games.
Speaker 4: And obviously my dad played here. I grew up coming
to games here. Brother in law he played here. So
it's just there's a lot of connections. My little brother's
coming here, so kind of just you know, it's a
it's a family. It's a little bit of a family
feel for me here and now I'm just to be
a part of it.
Speaker 3: Is it's a cool feeling.
Speaker 4: Like I said, it kind of is like it going
back to what I said about the transition, that's kind
of I feel like what's made it so smooth is
the fact that it's just super familiar and it's something
where it's a place where I want to be and
I want to give.
Speaker 3: My all two and make a lasting impact.
Speaker 4: Because I've seen how VYU was affecting my life, and
I kind of want that same, you.
Speaker 3: Know, for for my future as well.
Speaker 1: Love that what were what were some of the determining
factors the first go around?
Speaker 2: Why not be what the first go around? But the
second go round was the right plot spot.
Speaker 4: I mean, I think right out of high school, I
felt like there was some things just missing as far
as just I don't know, I felt like there was
just a few things where they didn't quite have, you know,
the answers to it in a way, or like there
was just some development pieces that I was like, hmm,
I don't know about this or that. And I think
the second time around, those initial concerns have almost all
been just taken and made, you know, some of the best.
I guess, like, I don't I don't really know how
to phrase it other than like my initial concerns now
or when I entered the portal, they were gone and
now instead of being those concerns, there was just so
many positives with the strength staff, with the nutrition staff,
with the sports science, with you know, the tight end
play with the success there with the last couple of seasons,
and with the coaching stability and all these things that
I guess at my time out of high school, I
felt like I wasn't too sure about if that makes sense.
Speaker 1: Because you initially did you commit to Stanford and then
commit to USC. So I've heard, you know, a'tually great
things about all those things that you mentioned at Stanford and.
Speaker 2: USC, So I could I could see that.
Speaker 1: I think there's some valid, you know, constructive criticism there
and that feedback, and it's been transformed. I mean, I've
seen it personally over the last three years. Colby Colossum, Skyler, Maine,
you know, all of the Ryan Phillis's it's different than
it than it was maybe four or five years ago.
Speaker 3: No, Yeah, and that's exactly what I felt.
Speaker 4: And I think it's also evident in just looking at
the team, looking at the caliber of guys we have
on the roster right now. I think it's one of
the most talented rosters I think, you know, he's had
in a long time, and you know, we have high
expectations and we're just kind of buying in one day
at a time.
Speaker 1: What stood out to you about you your teammates as
far whould you like to highlight that you've been impressed by,
maybe on the offensive or defensive side of the ball,
that you've been impressed by.
Speaker 4: I would say I've been really really impressed by our linebackers.
I think they've been playing really really.
Speaker 3: Well, all of them.
Speaker 4: My roommates Kid, so that's fun. We live together, and
he's he's doing awesome.
Speaker 2: Can he lift with the club?
Speaker 4: Yeah, it was a little brace when he lift, but yeah,
I think he's been doing a good job. And I'd
say the lot has been doing really good helping us
with communications. As far as the tight ends go, all
the tight ends have been playing really well. The receivers also,
I think Reggie's been doing really well.
Speaker 3: All over. I think Jojo has been playing really well. Kyler,
I mean, I can't.
Speaker 4: It's hard for me to like focus on one guy,
especially the way we do it here where it's very just.
Speaker 3: Everyone's getting a lot of raps. There's not really depth
charts right now, and it's just kind of.
Speaker 4: Everyone's just kind of playing. And but I've been really
impressed by everyone.
Speaker 1: You mentioned, you know, three really tall wide receivers. I
was joking around on my show that I would love
to see an empty set with Walker Lyons, Roger, Sally Apaga.
Speaker 2: Kyler, Reggie and Jojo. That maybe the biggest empty set
in college football.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know, I mean, it would be pretty fun.
Speaker 4: We've we've been doing a lot of twelve with the
four of those guys, and that's been pretty fun in
the huddle, just like, well, it's not used to this,
but I mean, I think it's cool. I think it's
speaks to the team, the talent that we have, the growth,
you know, maybe production wise that we're hoping to have
this year, and I think, you know, we have big players.
Speaker 3: And hopefully we make some big plays.
Speaker 2: You mentioned your brother in law also played here or.
Speaker 3: He's played here. He's a played here.
Speaker 4: I don't know when, but he was a tight ends
David David Weeks.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's in the family obviously.
Speaker 1: And when Riyter was going through his recruitment, what what
were you what were you thinking? What were you what
were those conversations like within the family at the family dinners.
Speaker 3: His recruitment was a little as crazy.
Speaker 4: It was very just very nationally followed, very national stage.
Speaker 3: At the time. And when here in the community.
Speaker 4: I was still has obviously, but it was like one
of the top players in the whole country, and so
I just I always just wanted him to I gave
him my advice after being in college football two years,
and I kind of told him what I felt was
was important about making a decision, because.
Speaker 3: It really recruiting is really just like.
Speaker 4: Smoking mirrors for the most part, and they'll say whatever.
And I have that experience that if you ask every
single player he's ever been recruited, they'll say the same thing.
So I kind of just tried to help him through
that process of, you know, make sure you make a
decision that you know was just good for you, good
for your life, and ultimately what you want, what you
want to do. Like I feel like he felt a
lot of pressures, you know, to go to different places,
and truthfully, he made the decision on his own, and
it was the one that you know, I gave him
my opinion, but he really made that decision on his own,
and I thought it was cool that he committed and
he was just pretty much all in on that once
he made that decision.
Speaker 1: So you mentioned his recruitment and how high profile was
I mean, you were four star tight end.
Speaker 2: I mean, you were getting recruited by a lot of
different schools.
Speaker 1: Did it make you reflect it, like on your position choice,
You're like, man, may, maybe I should have been a quarterback.
Speaker 3: I don't know, it's too much pressure for me. I
don't like it.
Speaker 4: I used to like quarterback in high school, my first
you know, kind of two years of high school. Oh
you did, okay, Yeah, I switched over my sophomore year.
Speaker 2: What was the determining factor? Like why it was more natural?
Speaker 4: More natural? I probably was not as good. I wasn't
as good as a writer was. It was just a
more natural, bigger and like I kind of like this
less little bit, less pressure, more chill and just something
I really I don't know.
Speaker 3: I just became very passionate.
Speaker 1: About it schematically and even speaking to maybe Kevin gilbrid
what do you like about the scheme and also your
position coach?
Speaker 4: I mean the development for our position specifically is it's
some of the best I think I've seen, like seen
or heard of. When we have three designated people in
our room just tight ends helping us, which is.
Speaker 3: I don't think that's normal. So Kevin, who else have Kevin?
Speaker 4: We got al and we have Tysonison, Tyson McDaniel, and
then a yes, yep, and we have all.
Speaker 3: Three of them.
Speaker 4: Obviously, Al played in the NFL for you know, eight
ten years, he said, he has just lots of nuggets
that helped have helped me. And coach Gilbright obviously coached
the highest level for you know, ten plus years, and
Tyson he's very familiar with just the position that's well,
and so during our individual time and during film, I
think the biggest difference I've noticed as far as like
my development goes is there's just so many things that
I thought I knew that I didn't know and that
they've just helped me to get better at. And that's
just run blocking, feeling zones, different man techniques, just so
so many things. And I would say the development for
our position the Titans specifically is just top notch.
Speaker 1: What skill set do you bring to the tight end
room that differentiate yourself and then do you model your
game after anybody collegiate later.
Speaker 4: Professionally, Yeah, I think for me, I've always tried to
be a player who can, you know, play every level
of the field and play every down and kind of
just do whatever that's asked to.
Speaker 3: What's ever asked of me, whether that's.
Speaker 4: Run blocking, whether that's past blocking, whether that's running a
vertical route with screen intermediate, you know, blocking in space,
whatever it is. I've tried to just be able to
be a complete player and really just become a player
that doesn't need to be taken off the field because
he can do it all. And so that's kind of
what I'm trying to do. And the person I've really
studied a lot of as far as like just like
NFL goes is, I've really studied a lot of George
Kittle stuff, and actually I've studied a lot of Dalton
Kincaid college stuff, which might be a little Yeah, I
think he's just the way he like attacks the ball,
the way he's just I don't know. There's a lot
of clips of him that I've watched, and I feel
like I've tried to.
Speaker 3: Just kind of implement my own game.
Speaker 1: Awesome Walker, What goals do you have for yourself through Spring?
I'm sure the playbook and alignment assignment is probably the key.
Obviously you want technique and all those things, but knowing
where you're at and what you're supposed to do on
any given place, probably the most difficult thing right now.
Speaker 4: I mean, I've been surprised by how fast I've picked
it up and understood offense, and I think that's it
helps that have you know, played a lot of college football,
and so I may be less worried about, oh, is
this dude gonna like absolutely destroy me right now, or
more like focused on Okay, what do I have here
and able to kind of go a little bit quicker now,
whereas if I was newer, it's probably just like you're
drinking out of fire hose.
Speaker 3: A little bit.
Speaker 4: The goals for me, I mean, for then for the
rest of the spring is just continue to develop the
most I can, continue to try and get his be
the most out of it, because this is kind of
the last competitive football we have for a while. So
just to take take the most out of it, to
get the most development I possibly can. And then you know,
goals going to the fall, just be the best player
I can be the best team that can be, help
help help team win a national championship. You know, I
have a lot of personal goals. I want to you know,
I want to eventually be drafted, I want to be American.
All these things I have, these goals, but I kind
of just you know, before all that, I just kind
of want to help, you know, team be what they
need me to be.
Speaker 1: So outside of football, what do you to be studying?
What do you want to get into career wise after
the NFL?
Speaker 3: Yeah, so I'm doing business right now.
Speaker 4: I was studying real estate development at USC So I
studied that for two years and that's kind of where
I want to. I want to get into just a
little bit commercial real estate and just kind of that that.
Speaker 3: Realm of work. Great network here, yeah, I know.
Speaker 4: So there's lots of lots of people I've been put
in touch with so far, and hopefully I meet a
lot more who who.
Speaker 3: Can help me and you know, learn help me learn
the ropes a little bit.
Speaker 1: When once you get big time. One last thing, uh,
product or service? An IL deal you're looking for for
those corporate sponsorships out.
Speaker 3: There, I don't know, that's a good question.
Speaker 2: If you could choose one right now locally? Anything food plays.
Speaker 4: Oh, I think I think like a golf like some
golf courses, golf course and IL deal. Yeah, I think
those would be pretty sweet. You know, I don't know golf.
Speaker 2: Clubs, golf golf. It's about that time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there we go, all right, walker, lions, ladies and
general things. So much.
Speaker 2: It is golf season, isn't it like these?
Speaker 1: As soon as spring ball is done and they get
into the strength and conditioning, nutritional law season, the extra
bandwidth that is not allocated to maybe classes you know where,
you know where it goes, they head over to the
golf course. Remember, like Cody Apps just fell in love
with the golf courses here in the state of Utah
in the off season. All the boys getting together, competing
with the sticks on the uh on the manicured greens
and uh beautiful fairways of Utah County. Baby, and going
around the state. There's some tremendous golf courses. We're in
a high desert, but man, we have some tremendous golf course.
I love Hobble Creek, you know, t Point. I was
a member at Alpine for a long time and I
love that course as well. Anyway, a lot of great courses.
It sounds like he's got the bug. He's got that
golf bug that all these Cougar football players get in
the offseason. Rob up the three man weaver, that's what
he wants. If he wants an nild, he wants to
get on board with a golf course.
Speaker 5: It sounds like, I mean, how do you not fall
in love with golf? Ben, And I mean, that's my
I've fallen in love with Look I've gotten better. Look
it's been what three years since I've started, And I
see why you fall in love. Now my bank account
can't fall in love with it, you know for some reason.
Speaker 2: Well, the driving ranger is fine.
Speaker 5: Well no, exactly, Well that's why you said that. You
told me, don't spend all these money on courses in
this and I saved a lot more money compared to
year one to year two when I looked at it.
So wow, that's anyway to the point he I mean, look,
he's a ca boy, he's from California.
Speaker 3: It's nice.
Speaker 5: They got some nice courses out there, probably been good weather.
And then he comes to Utah, so he's already got
a good bug to have. And you're right, that's what
football players do. And look, there's been a lot of
news been in the off season with some football players.
If you're on a golf course, that's exactly where you
should be with your teammates, with your family with your friends.
If you're married, with your wife, take the kiddo, gonna
be taking jersey and then go out there and enjoy it. Look,
the weather's nice and right now it's a little muggy,
but yesterday, Ben, and then you know, last week.
Speaker 2: It's been beautiful.
Speaker 5: So after this cold front, I'm looking forward to definitely
seeing the golf courses. You and I gotta get out a.
Speaker 3: Little bit more.
Speaker 5: And uh look, I was even talking to the Sids.
We even know when our media golf tournament is gonna be,
so I'm looking forward to that as well.
Speaker 2: But golf season is definitely upon us.
Speaker 1: With as April hits, golf season, Baby is the best season.
Speaker 2: Let's go.
Speaker 1: That was a great segment with Walker, Lions, ladies and gentlemen,
and it was brought to you by Central Garage Utah.
Central Garage Utah dot com give him a call, set
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be back on the flip side. Uh, we'll get to
know Titan de Young. That's right, three star p YU linebacker,
wide receiver, just