New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate Saints’ Tyrunn Walker not letting up in quest for roster spot

Tyrunn Walker had not heard that New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan recently described him to reporters as “not the prettiest guy” but “a hell of a football player.”

Walker, who played at Westgate High in New Iberia, didn’t seem to accept the first statement when informed of it Wednesday. And he certainly wasn’t prepared to feel satisfied with himself and accept the second one.

“It’s good to be on the right track, but you should never ease up in this system, in this organization or in this league,” said Walker, one of six defensive ends who remain on the Saints’ roster. “Everybody’s chopping at your heels — you’ve always got ... to keep working hard ... so (coaches) can keep praising you like that.”

That approach worked quite well for the 6-foot-3, 294-pound Walker in 2012, when the Saints signed him as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulsa for his potential as a pass rusher. He led the team last preseason with three sacks and emerged as one of just two undrafted rookies to make the 53-man roster.

However, he was inactive for 15 games and didn’t play a snap in the one contest for which he was activated.

Walker found it worthwhile to essentially redshirt his first year in the NFL.

“I was able to learn how to be a pro, how the pros carry themselves, the things they do,” Walker said. “I did all the preparations for games. I was in the locker room. I traveled to every game.

“It was a good learning experience for me, and it’s really helped me this year.”

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