Stanford 14, Notre Dame 45
Q. Austin, what's been the range of emotions? You were on the practice squad, you get called up, score a touchdown. What's been the range of emotions?
AUSTIN WALTER: It's been a lot of emotions that I been feeling. I'm from Houston. I went to Rice University, I went to Crosby High School, so this was a homecoming for me. I got to see a lot of family members here, some people that I wasn't even expecting to see that work in the stadium.
Just being here my whole life it meant a lot for this to be the place to get my first career touchdown. I know my dad is in heaven smiling down on me, so a lot of emotions, but they're bittersweet emotions.
Q. When did you know you would have a significant part in this game plan this week?
AUSTIN WALTER: I didn't know. I knew I would be up Saturday, but at the same time, just the way that I train is you always have to be ready for your moment. You never know. Being a guy that's on the practice squad, being from team to team, you know how this league works.
When you get your opportunity, you have to do everything you can to make it last. When coach kept calling my number I was like, Hey, you know what, if I want to stay up here, stay at the big dance, I got to make the most out of my opportunity, and I hope I did that.
Q. Describe the touchdown run itself. What was the play and what do you remember from it?
AUSTIN WALTER: Well, it was inside zone and I could see the defense. They were slanted in, doing pirate concept. I just knew, Hey, hit it off the guard's block and it'll be right there.
I wasn't going to be denied. It was going to be my first touchdown. My mom said yesterday she could feel that I was going to score today. Mother's intuition. Mother always knows best.
Q. How many family and friends did you have here?
AUSTIN WALTER: Honestly if I gave you a number I can't even -- I was getting ready for pre-game warmups and I saw my aunt in the stadium. I saw one of my long-time friends. My grandparents are here, my mom, my step dad is here.
Yeah, it's a lot of people. Then people watching the game. Even people that were working that were with me at Rice, some people I know from Crosby. Yeah, pretty cool experience.
Q. So were you a Texans fan growing up?
AUSTIN WALTER: I mean, that's -- I'll say this: I really didn't watch NFL growing up. Yeah.
Q. Did you guys know that the run game was going to be critical today? Just Zach is coming back after four weeks off and maybe not leaning on him as much.
AUSTIN WALTER: Well, being in this system for three years, spending time with Coach Shanahan in San Francisco I kind of got a feel for how the offense is supposed to work. This offense relies heavy on the run game, and that opens up everything else.
If you look at the year they went to the Super Bowl in 2019 it was run game, run game, run game. You do that, it allows for the defense to play with a lead, it allows for clock management. The run game is the foundation of this west coast offense.
Q. When did you lose your father? What do you think of the fact that of all the places this would happen to you...
AUSTIN WALTER: I lost my father I want to say probably 2017. It was right before we went to Australia when I was at Rice, so it was around that time period. And I know that he had the best seat in the house. I know if he was right here he would be smiling from ear to ear. He would be so proud of me. He would be bragging to all of his friends.
And at the end of the day he's the one that allowed me to get to this position, so I know he's in heaven looking down like, Hey, my hard work paid off.
Q. What was his name?
AUSTIN WALTER: Tony Walter, yes. I got to shout out my mom, Diane Walter, because she's the person who put me in football when I was three years old. I had to go to her first and she went to my dad. Without my mother, Diane Walter, I wouldn't be standing up here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports