Former Fort Mill High star happy to be coming home

By Darin Gantt - daringantt@carolina.rr.com

CHARLOTTE -- Vance Walker laughed Friday afternoon and said he's looking forward to his next game like when he was in high school.

That's not just because his mom is bringing him food before the game and he's taking the bus, either.

The former Fort Mill High standout will be rolling home this time as a member of the Atlanta Falcons, who are coming to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

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“This is something I'm looking forward to,” Walker said Friday afternoon. “It feels kind of like high school, partly because of the atmosphere, and being close to home. But at the same time, I want to show everybody back there how much I've grown as a player.”

Walker has done quite a bit of that already as a Falcon.

After a solid career at Georgia Tech, the 6-foot-2, 307-pound defensive tackle was surprised and relieved to be drafted by his adopted hometown team. But as a seventh-round pick, there were no guarantees, especially since the Falcons took defensive tackle Peria Jerry in the first round.

When it was time for final cuts, Walker was on the outside looking in, wondering what came next. Oddly, it was almost the Panthers.

Knowing they needed help at the position, the Panthers put priority claims in on four defensive linemen who were waived. But when they were awarded Pittsburgh's Ra'Shon Harris instead, Walker was free to sign with the Falcons' practice squad. It's not a glamorous life, since you make less than a third of the rookie minimum, and don't get to play on Sundays, but it was a foot in the door.

“You just have to keep your head high,” he said of the process of working his way up to playing time. “There were a lot of things that happened that I can't control, but all you can do is work on your game and play the best you can.”

His practice squad stint lasted just two weeks, as he was promoted to the active roster when Jerry suffered a knee injury against the Panthers on Sept. 20. He was inactive for the first four games but got in two weeks ago against New Orleans, and has made a name for himself since.

Subbing for an injured Thomas Johnson, Walker had three tackles and batted down a pass against the Saints, then followed with five tackles, including one for a loss, against Washington last week.

“He's done well for us,” Falcons coach Mike Smith told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week. “We think he'll continue to advance. It's nice to see a young player step into a role so quickly.”

Walker said it hasn't been perfectly smooth, but he has relished the quick chance at game action.

“I've gotten yelled at a good bit, but I think I've played OK,” he said. “The biggest thing is working to get better, working on my position, my technique.

“I've got a lot of room for improvement, and I just have to work on it.”

While Walker is adjusting to his new role, at least he has company. The Falcons' defense is young, with six starters and nine backups with three years or fewer in the league.

“It's good having so many guys your same age,” Walker said. “We're all going to make mistakes, but we're all going to grow together and get better together.”

And who knows, there might even be some food left over. When NFL teams travel (and the Falcons are making this trip by bus to save time), there are a few hours on Saturday to kill, and guys returning to their hometowns will often drag some teammates to a favorite hangout. But Walker said he is using his short time in Charlotte to meet up with his parents, and he laughed and said his mom is already planning to bring a bucket of chicken from Church's when they catch up.

“Nothing special as far as going out,” Walker said. “Just being back close to home is enough for me.”