ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Gabe Walker

Walker is a senior running back for Foundation Academy, which won its first football district championship this season. Walker’s rushing touchdown in overtime Oct. 16 against district rival Victory Christian clinched that championship by ending the Lions’ first triumph over the team that beat Foundation to clinch the previous two district titles. He made the all-district team with 10 touchdowns and 1,005 rushing yards through 10 games this year.

When did you start playing football?

I’ve been playing football since I was 4 years old. I have four older brothers that played football, so I kind of just fell into the trend of football. My dad played football. It’s just something we do, just born into it.

What would you say is your favorite part about playing football?

Winning. (laughs) Everybody enjoys winning. I like seeing the crowd get excited, like when I score a touchdown and get long runs — a lot of excitement, my teammates jumping and stuff.

What would you say is your favorite memory playing for Foundation?

The Victory game. (laughs) Also, we had a game my sophomore year … against Montverde Academy when they still and a team, and we went into overtime. It was a tough game, hard-hitting all over the place. In overtime, they scored and kicked a (PAT); then we scored, and we went for two. And we got it, and we won, so that was pretty exciting, but I didn’t score the touchdown or the two-point conversion like the Victory game. (laughs)

What would you say is your favorite class in school?

Government right now. It’s interesting, learning laws and stuff that you wouldn’t know that goes on in everyday political aspects of life.

Where are you looking to go for college?

I got a few verbal offers. I plan to take a couple of visits so I can see where I want to go. I really like the Naval Academy, Toledo and Akron. That’s the school I’m looking forward to going to — one of those.

Do you have an idea of what you’d like to study in college?

I think sports management or something like the criminal justice field, something like that. Going into the Navy, that’d be big in criminal justice, and then I could get into law enforcement pretty easily afterwards.

What do you like to do when you’re not playing football?

When I’m not playing football, I play my PlayStation 3.

What types of games do you like to play on that?

Football: NCAA, Madden. I like GTA, too, games like that — racing games.

So are you more of a college or NFL guy?

Ooh. This year, I’m more into the NFL. I don’t really see one solid college team out there right now, so I’m following more the NFL, seeing what’s going to happen at the end, because there’s a lot of good teams out there still undefeated. College, I think the playoff system is taking away from college. I think they should’ve kept it how it was.

Do you have any favorite player or team?

My favorite player is Todd Gurley. My favorite athlete outside of football is Andrew Wiggins in basketball.

What’s something not many people know about you?

Around school, I talk more than when I’m at home. A lot of people know me as a talkative, laughing all the time person, but at home I’m more laid back, chill, relaxed — I don’t really talk much.

-- Zak Kerr