Buford's Walker named Player of the Year

BUFORD - Still a little sore from last weekend's state championship football game victory, Darius Walker got news of another big win on Wednesday.

The Buford senior running back is the state Player of the Year as selected by the Georgia Sports Writers Association.

"It's really special because there are a lot of other great players in the state that could have gotten the award,'' said Walker, an all-state pick in AA.

"For me to get it, its a really big honor."

Walker, one of the nation's top recruits, had 282 rushes for 2,406 yards and a state-record 46 touchdowns this season.

He reached the state touchdown record, held previously by Herschel Walker and Charles Grant, last Saturday in Buford's 31-3 over Charlton County for the Class AA state title.

Walker now must focus on an intense recruiting process. He has scheduled three visits and hopes to take all five allowed before picking a college.

He plans to visit Stanford on Jan. 9, Southern California on Jan. 16 and Notre Dame on Jan. 23. He also plans a trip to Ohio State and is wide open on his fifth visit.

Up until last weekend, Walker was focused on the high school season and helping Buford continue its phenomenal run.

Buford's seniors had a 58-2 career record and finished with a 45-game winning streak, only one game behind Parkview's state record.

``To go to the state championship game four times and to win three times in unbelievable,'' Walker said. ``And going undefeated the last three years is something I never could have imagined.''

Sports writers across the state pick the all-state teams and individual awards each year in each classification.