Marcus Walker was on the wrong end of perhaps the most exciting college football game ever played.

But neither Walker’s life nor his playing career ended that day.

Walker, the former high school All-American cornerback from Waco High and the Oklahoma Sooners, had to embody resiliency at various times in his football career. At times, he had to scratch and claw and fight.

Former Oklahoma Sooner Marcus Walker (right), shown with fellow Waco High alum Carl Sims after a 2005 game against Baylor, will be trying to win a spot on the Minnesota Vikings' everyday roster this summer after spending last season on the NFL team's practice squad. (Rod Aydelotte photo, file)

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The fact is, he still is.

After a season on the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, Walker is preparing to fight for his professional life — specifically, a spot on Minnesota’s everyday roster once NFL training camps kick off in a little over three weeks.

“I learned about working hard (last season), about hard work paying off,” said Walker, who was in Waco on Wednesday as a guest speaker at LaDainian Tomlinson’s football camp. “I learned about being a warrior. No matter what the situation is, you’ve got to be a warrior and continue to fight every day.”

Back in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Walker and the Sooners displayed that warrior spirit against the Cinderella darlings from Boise State. Down 28-10 in the second half, Oklahoma stormed back to take a 35-28 lead with 1:02 remaining when Walker snuck his way in front of a Jared Zabransky pass and scurried 34 yards for the touchdown.

Of course, every college football fan in America knows what happens next. A hook-and-ladder on fourth-and-18 to force overtime, followed by an equally miraculous wide receiver pass and Statue of Liberty two-point conversion, resulting in a 43-42 Boise State win.

For OU, the loss stung, but for the ex-Super Centex standout Walker, the passage of time gave him an appreciation for the overall greatness of the game.

“I’d never been part of a game where you were playing bad for so long and then at the flip of a light switch, you run off 30 points and take the lead,” he said. “You’ve got them fourth-and-forever and they get a hook-and-ladder and end up beating you. I’d never been part of anything like that. It was fun, but it was disappointing, too.”

Walker wasn’t taken in the 2008 NFL draft, but impressed the Vikings enough throughout last preseason that they kept him around on the practice squad, then re-signed him in January. Walker is confident that he can not only land a roster spot this season, but make a significant contribution, too.

“I’m in shape, I’m primed up and ready to go,” he said.

Walker still keeps up with his old stomping grounds at Waco High, particularly through his brother Tristan Eche, a junior linebacker for the Lions. The news about his old coach Johnny Tusa stepping down caught Walker off guard, though.

“I was surprised,” he said. “That was kind of sad to see, because Coach Tusa taught me a lot of things not only about football, but about life. I love Coach Tusa, and to me, he’s one of the greatest coaches I’ve had. It was sad to me to see him retire — I didn’t think he’d ever retire. But I’m glad for him. If he’s happy, I’m happy. And I hope the new coach (Danny Ramsey) keeps the Waco High tradition going.”

Walker enjoys passing along his own football expertise to the likes of Eche and the students at Camp LT. One lesson he didn’t illuminate but could have was this — if you’re ever involved in a legendary game, don’t expect it to just go away.

“I still hear about that (Fiesta Bowl) every day,” Walker said. “Matter of fact, I was just in Oklahoma last week and people were still talking about that touchdown, still talking about that game. It’s funny that people still talk about it. It will probably be remembered forever.”

bcherry@wacotrib.com

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