LIBERTY, Mo. and INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Running back
Chance Walker has become the seventh Newberry student-athlete in school history to be named National Player of the Week by D2Football.com and was featured on the NCAA's listing of top plays from across Division II this weekend.
Walker's record-setting day has led to a slew of accolades; the junior had already been named AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Offensive Player of the Week and
featured on WLTX earlier in the week.
Walker set a school record with 261 rushing yards on 26 carries against the Catawba Indians to key Newberry's 44-21 win. He scored an astonishing six touchdowns, which matched the all-time South Atlantic Conference record by players at any position set in 1989 and set a new school record. His 36 points scored were also a Newberry and SAC record, while his 78-yard touchdown that was named the No. 3 play in Division II this weekend was the eighth-longest rushing play in school history.
Entering Saturday's contest, Walker had never rushed for 100 yards in a game and his only career touchdown had come on a SAC-record 100-yard kickoff return at Virginia Union in 2017. He is now tied with Alex Ramsay of VMI (Division I FCS) and Lance Moise of Concordia Chicago (Division III) for the most rushing touchdowns in a single game this season at all NCAA levels, while his 261 yards are fourth-highest rushing total in Division II this season.
Walker helped Newberry to 432 rushing yards, the second-most in a single game this century, and its first game with 500 or more yards of total offense in four years. The Wolves have now won three of their last four games and enter this weekend's matchup at Carson-Newman in fourth place in the league standings.
Walker joins an illustrious list of Newberry student-athletes to be named National Player of the Week:
| Season |
Player (Opponent |
Type |
Details |
| 2005 |
Josh Stepp (Catawba) |
Offensive |
Link |
| 2006 |
Derrell Mills (Tusculum) |
Defensive |
Link |
| 2010 |
Bryan Ehrlich (Tusculum)* |
Offensive |
Link |
| 2010 |
Brandon Bostick (Tusculum)* |
Offensive |
Link |
| 2015 |
Kyle Clark (Tusculum) |
Special Teams |
Link |
| 2017 |
Shea Rodgers (Carson-Newman) |
Special Teams |
Link |
| 2019 |
Chance Walker (Catawba) |
Offensive |
Above |
Click here to read the full release from D2Football.com, which also selected Johseari Patterson of Fort Valley State (Defense) and Justin Watts of Glenville State (Special Teams) as Players of the Week.
