Jacksonville Jaguars Media Conference

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Jacksonville, Florida, USA

Travon Walker

NFL Draft Press Conference


Q. Travon, talk about your feelings and who you're celebrating this great moment with.

TRAVON WALKER: Yes, sir, this is a great feeling just for the Jags' club to give me the opportunity. Something that I always prayed for since I was seven years old. It's truly a blessing to be in this position. I spent this time with family, mom, dad, grandparents and cousins, people that have been there for me.

Q. When did you have a good idea that you were going to be a Jaguar?

TRAVON WALKER: I kind of had a good idea right as I was about to get ready to leave my visit, my top-30 visit for the Jags. There was just something special, a bond between me and the coaches and GM where I felt like everything went well. That's when I was really feeling it.

Q. Can you kind of tell us what happened with that car accident?

TRAVON WALKER: Just a little fender-bender, nothing crazy.

Q. You weren't hurt in any way?

TRAVON WALKER: No one was hurt.

Q. How did you get back or what day was it? How did you get back? Was it at night? Can you just give us a little bit more details?

TRAVON WALKER: It's not really much of details to give you. It wasn't much to it. Just a little fender-bender. Things happen. Nothing to it really. Nothing I can give you other than it was a fender-bender.

Q. I want to follow up on the car accident because you're talking about the No. 1 player in the draft and then something like this comes out. Did this happen like two weeks ago?

TRAVON WALKER: It happened probably like a week and a half ago -- yeah, it was like two weeks ago.

Q. What goes through your mind when something like that happens knowing kind of where you are in this draft process? Obviously you weren't hurt, so praise God for that, but in terms of what kind of goes through your mind about the types of things that can happen at this critical part of your career, how did you process that?

TRAVON WALKER: I mean, things happen. It was nothing to be upset over. Just things happen. I'm a regular human being just like everybody else.

Q. What would you like to say to Jaguars fans?

TRAVON WALKER: I'd first like to start off with thanking the whole upstairs organization, owner, the GM, the coaching staff, everybody for giving me this great opportunity, and I promise you, you won't regret it. I'm ready to work, though.

Q. How do you balance the fact that you're going to be a rookie in this league and yet the No. 1 pick -- of course everyone wants to be the No. 1 pick, but it comes with having that target on your back, everyone looks at you as the No. 1 pick. What's the best advice someone has given you about how to handle that?

TRAVON WALKER: Something that's always stuck with me is be where your feet are. You can't do more than what you're expected to do, so just handle my business, do what I've been doing and don't make it any bigger than it's supposed to be.

Q. When you were meeting with the Jaguars' coaches, what did they say about what they liked about you? Was it your versatility, just in terms of what they saw from you? And how do you feel about being involved in a defense with a guy like Josh Allen?

TRAVON WALKER: They talked about a lot of things. They mentioned my versatility, like you said. They mentioned my ability to get after the quarterback, things of that nature. Basically just be the ball player that I can be and that I've shown to be.

Q. How much did you know about Josh Allen, the guy you're going to be playing opposite of, and how exciting is it to be able to play with a guy like him?

TRAVON WALKER: Josh Allen? I really haven't known Josh Allen for that long. He followed me on Instagram probably about three weeks ago I'd say, and just the vibe that I get from him, I feel like we're going to bond real well, and he's going to be a great leader to us because I feel like he's going to help me go in the right direction coming in.

Q. Whenever people are assessing you as a prospect, the two things of any concern that seem to be brought up are, number one, that you blew up after the combine, so that a lot of the ascent that you made was as a result of the combine, and the other thing they talk about is that they talk about production at Georgia without maybe necessarily taking into account how you were used. What would you say to people who have any doubts about you because you blew up because of the combine or don't have the big sack numbers that a traditional edge rusher might have?

TRAVON WALKER: Me, I'm not the type of person to entertain things like that. Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, so I can't be mad at them for having their own opinion.

Q. How important is it for you to land in spot where you're close to home and where you know some people, obviously Tyson Campbell going on the roster last year?

TRAVON WALKER: Yeah, for me it's something special to have a guy like Tyson on the team. Tyson when I came in as a freshman he was a leader to me in college, as well. I feel that just having him there, he'll be a big help for me and he'll lead me in the right direction to help me get on track, help me learn the playbook faster than I would just on my own to have an additional help, as well. And being so close so home is great because I know my mom, she doesn't like flying, so that's nothing but a four-hour drive. She's loving that, so I'm loving it for her.

Q. How did you share this moment? Are you with family? Are you in a hotel? Are you in Atlanta? Are you in Vegas? How did you share tonight? What was tonight like?

TRAVON WALKER: I spent time with my family in Atlanta. We're at a hotel. A lot of family, just about my whole family, friends, close friends growing up, teammates. That's how I spent it. I just feel like being around my family, that's the main goal for me. I'm going to keep the main thing the main thing, and that's my family. Just to be able to spend the last couple hours with them before I get ready to lock in for work.

Q. What was your reaction to all the talk about your measurables and the performance that you had in the combine? What are your thoughts about when your draft stock starts soaring the way it did over the last month or so?

TRAVON WALKER: Me, like I say, I'm the type of person, just be where my feet are, control what I can control. In the moment it was the combine for me so I just attacked the task at hand, did what I was supposed to do, and everything worked out how it should have. Everybody started to realize how good of a player I can be and how good of a player I was in college.

Q. Before you started anything with this draft process in terms of talking to members of the organization or anything, what was kind of your perception of the Jaguars and this organization as a whole?

TRAVON WALKER: I really never just had like a set thought on the Jaguars. I knew I liked the Jaguars. I always watched the games because I watched Tyson Campbell, my former teammate. I just knew that whatever team got me and I was hoping it was the Jaguars from the get-go, so whatever team got me is going to get the best me.

Q. Being the No. 1 overall pick, this is life changing, the contract, just the pressure that comes with it. Are you prepared for that? And what does coming with being the No. 1 overall pick, what does that do for you and your family, as well?

TRAVON WALKER: I'm definitely prepared for it, the No. 1 pick. I have to say there's a lot of expectations behind that but it's just the game of football to me. I'm just going to continue to do what I've been doing, giving my all to the game of football because that's something that I love to do, and I'm not making it more pressure on myself than it should be.

Q. Could you just describe what these last 24 hours have been like for you?

TRAVON WALKER: These last 24 hours for me, I can't say -- it's kind of been a little nerve-racking just from all the media. I'm not big on media, and coming up on the draft of course there's going to be a lot of media. I'm a guy that was talked about a pretty good bit.

But just these last 24 hours I've been taking it in, trying to spend my time with my family this whole time. I'm just enjoying this time and this moment with my family.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
119866-1-1002 2022-04-29 01:14:00 GMT

ASAP sports

tech 129