Mark Edwards: Quiet Walker O’Steen says enough to make an impact for Jax State

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JACKSONVILLE — A recent media interview with Jacksonville State's Walker O’Steen started with a big laugh.

O’Steen, a fifth-year linebacker from White Plains High, was requested for a short meeting with reporters after an afternoon practice. Before he walked over, head coach Charles Kelly stopped him and reminded him about what he could discuss and what he shouldn't.

When a reporter asked O’Steen what the coach told him, he was about to answer before cutting himself off and saying with a slightly embarrassed grin, "I guess I wasn’t supposed to talk about that. I'll stop myself."

The moment drew laughter from everyone, including O’Steen, who was a good sport about it.

After that, O’Steen gave a friendly, informative interview — without touching on anything Kelly didn't want him to.

That's kind of funny, too, because Kelly just got finished telling reporters about all the good things O’Steen does for the team, but adding that he's very much a lead-by-example kind of guy instead speaking out.

"He doesn't talk a lot," Kelly said.

Later, he added, "As I mentioned, he doesn't say a whole lot."

He apparently doesn't need to. Kelly added that O’Steen is on the team leadership council and influences people in a positive way. He's had a good off-season, too, and gained a little weight.

Last season when he made second-team All-Conference USA, he played with about 215 pounds on his 6-foot-3 frame last season. Now, he's up to about 220 pounds, although from what Kelly said, O’Steen is a tough guy on the field no matter his size.

When Kelly accepted the Jax State coaching job in December 2024, he wasn't set to take over the team until after the Gamecocks played in the Cure Bowl in Orlando. Kelly watched that one from the sidelines, and O’Steen caught his attention quickly. That's the game in which O’Steen made two big tackles on special teams.

This past season, O’Steen moved into the starting lineup at linebacker and finished with 84 tackles, which were second on the team to fellow linebacker Mac Sanders’ 85. O’Steen also tied for the team leader with six quarterback hurries.

"He's fun to coach," Kelly said. "He doesn't say a whole lot, but he's got a really good personality. … He has a big influence on people. You don't have to talk a lot to influence people. If you just work really hard, and people see results, they start following what you do."

Who better to serve as a team leader than somebody who's done all that O’Steen has?

"I haven't really changed anything," O’Steen said, when asked about serving as a leader. "I just kind of do what I always do. I guess I'm a leader for doing what I normally do. Really, I haven't changed anything."

As for not talking much, O’Steen said with a smile, "I mean, it depends on what we're talking about."

He added, "You know, if we're talking about fishing or something like that, I'll talk a little bit more. That's something I'm a little more into. So, fishing or buying and selling on Facebook Marketplace, you know, I'll probably talk a lot. Or football — I'll talk about football. But other than that …”

As for where to fish, he said, "The best place, if you're going to catch the biggest fish, I'd probably say Guntersville. But I normally go to Logan Martin because it's just closer to here and where I live, so that's where I spend most of my time."

As for the Jax State defense, O’Steen said it's clear he and his teammates are benefitting from having already worked in this system last season.

"We all know how things go and what to do," he said. "So, like all those guys back there, like Marc (Woods), Caleb (Nix), Mac (Sanders), Jawaun (Campbell), the D-line, the corners, like Tre’quan (Fegans) — we all know what to do, how to do it. We all know what we're doing, so it's a lot easier. We can communicate, and we're not really guessing on what to do."

Watching O’Steen play or practice, it's clear that he's having fun and enjoying the moment.

"Yeah, it's fun," he said. "I mean, it's just playing football. Winning and being good while you do it, it's a lot more fun."

And that last sentence drew one more smile.

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