Buford RB Darius Walker named Player of the Year

<p>Still a little sore from last weekends state championship football game victory, Darius Walker got news of another big win on Wednesday.</p><p>The Buford senior running back is the state Player of the Year as selected by the Georgia Sports Writers Association.</p><p>Walker, one of the nations top recruits, had 282 rushes for 2,406 yards and a state-record 46 touchdowns this season.</p><p>He reached the state touchdown record, held previously by Herschel Walker and Charles Grant, last Saturday in Bufords 31-3 over Charlton County for the Class AA state title.</p><p>Its 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.</p><p>For me to get it, its a really big honor.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Up until last weekend, Walker was focused on the high school season and helping Buford continue its phenomenal run.</p><p>Bufords seniors had a 58-2 career record and finished with a 45-game winning streak, only one game behind Parkviews state record.</p><p>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.</p><p>Sports writers across the state pick the all-state teams and individual awards each year in each classification.</p>

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