Boxing Success Yields Football Dominance


	Senior OL Brandon Walker

NORMAN, Okla. -- An impressive 6-3, 284, senior offensive linemen Brandon Walker is a commanding presence. Tattoos covering his massive arms, he admits that he likes to hit people, an unfortunate confession for his opponents. He has produced a successful football career by hitting people, but Walker did not start this path on the field. He started in the boxing ring.

Walker grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he was first introduced to the boxing world. His father, Clifford Walker, was a professional boxer for a short period of time and felt that his son should share the same experience.

“I like to strike fear in my competitors, and I got the chance to do that with boxing and now with football,” Walker said. “That's what got me started in boxing. I was always getting in fights in elementary school, so my dad made me start boxing. He even made me watch the Rocky movies.”

Walker's boxing career began when he was only 10 years old. It not only provided him the satisfaction of hitting people, it seemed to keep him out of trouble. Once he started boxing, the fighting at school stopped and he found he could hit people in the ring without punishment.

"My most memorable

moment in boxing was

when my dad knocked

me out. I started to get

a big head, so he put

me back in my place."

“I was always too tired and too beat up after training every day to start any fights,” Walker said. “Kind of like football, there is no time to get into trouble.”

His father not only encouraged the sport, but he served as his son's coach. They trained at Powerhouse Gym, where Walker eventually won a Golden Gloves Champion title. But when he displayed an arrogant attitude, dad made sure to keep his son grounded.

“My most memorable moment in boxing is when my dad knocked me out. I was sixteen and had just won a tough match,” Walker recalled. “I started getting a big head and thinking I was too good, so he had to put me back in my place. We got in the ring and he knocked me out in about 30 seconds.”

His father taught him lessons in the ring while his mother, Yvonne, raised him and taught him important life lessons outside of the ring. Skeptical about boxing at first, his mother eventually gave in to the young boxer as he dominated his competition.

“My mom is the most influential person in my life, but she didn't like me boxing at first. She said I was too young and that I would get hurt,” Walker said. “After awhile she saw how good I was doing and started to give in, but she always pushed me more toward football because she saw a better future there. She has always been very supportive.”

At age sixteen, Walker traded in his boxing gloves for pads and a helmet, a transition that his mother was more approving of. Instead of torturing one opponent in a ring, Walker now directs his aggression toward several defensive players on a field. He is able to use his boxing experiences to help him on the football field as well as all aspects of life.

His father taught him

lessons in the ring.

His mother raised

him and taught him

important life lessons.

“Boxing taught me great work ethic that still continues with me today. The conditioning is a lot harder than football, which is why I had to stop boxing,” Walker said. “I had to make a decision, so I gave up boxing to pursue football full-time. I didn't have time to do both.”

Although boxing lost a fierce competitor, football gained one and the Sooners are reaping the benefits. Walker joined the Sooner squad after his 2005 season at Coffeyville Community College. In 2006, he served as a season-long starter at right guard and produced the highest knockdown total for the season at 125. In the 2007 season, Walker had 13 starting assignments and saw action in all 14 games. He was named to the All-Big 12 second team by the coaches and honorable mention by the Associated Press and had an impressive 102 knockdowns in 553 plays.

The dedication and perseverance it takes to win a match is the type of boxing experience that has helped mold Walker into a powerful football player and a strong person.

Although Walker has not boxed competitively since his football days, he believes he still has what it takes to win a match. When asked if he could challenge any of his fellow Sooners to a friendly fight, he answered with a smile.

“If I could box anyone on the team, I would probably pick Lendy (Holmes) if he was in my weight class,” Walker said. “He used to box when he was younger, so I'd like to see what he is made of. But we are in different weight classes so it wouldn't even be a fair fight.”

The dedication it takes

to win a match is what

has helped mold Walker

into a powerful football

player and an even

stronger person.

Holmes agrees with Walker that boxing teaches great discipline and work ethic, and says that he sees that in his Sooner teammate. But when it comes to his predictions of a match between the two, Holmes says he would not back down.

“The weight class doesn't even matter. I could definitely hold my own in a ring with Brandon, and probably a little more,” Holmes laughed. “I wouldn't let him beat me, so it would probably end in a double knock out.”

Fortunately for Oklahoma, these two will not be knocking each other around in a boxing ring any time soon. Instead, they will concentrate on dominating opponents this season. Lucky for OU, unlucky for the opponents.

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Feature by Toni Blagowsky | OU Athletics Media Relations

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Boxing Success Yields Football Dominance

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