Anthony Walker Jr. Loves His Second Job

Dolphins LB Anthony Walker, Jr. is the defensive coordinator at Monsignor Pace High School, where his father is the head coach.

Nov 11, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (6) carries the ball on an interception return against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

By day, Anthony Walker Jr., is the Miami Dolphins' mild-mannered middle linebacker. By night, he is the defensive coordinator/intern at Monsignor Pace High School in Miami Gardens.

Walker only spends a few days a week at Pace because of his day job, but he fills in wherever needed.

Walker said earlier in the week that he is the "bad cop" who backs up his dad, who also plays the role of bad cop and is the head coach. Anthony Walker Sr. was Junior's coach when he played at Pace.

They both show tough love to the kids who would love to follow in Walker's footsteps and play in the National Football League.

"No, 'bad cop/bad cop' mostly. I mean, whatever the team needs at that point. My dad is pretty tough on them," said Walker, who talked about his coaching experience during a press conference this week and earlier for a video feature on the team website. "I try to be kind of the good cop, I guess, coming in after and making sure everything is all right. But trying to win and I know that's all he wants and he wants the best for each kid. So I know he means well and I'm with him."

The elder Walker takes pride in the fact Anthony worked for everything he attained and was not given anything because his dad was the coach.

"Pace is a special place and it feels like famiy," the elder Walker said. "I never wanted anyone to say you only got to this position because your dad was the coach. If anything, I was harder on him than the rest of the squad."

Walker Jr. said he learns significantly from teaching and watching films with the kids.

"This is my passion. This is my purpose," Walker Jr. said. "If I can learn by watching film, I enjoy and the kids enjoy it."

Walker Jr. discussed the first-round high school playoff game Pace participated in. It was a win over Ransom Everglades, another football power in South Florida.

"Man, the guys just played well. They played hard. They have a great quarterback over there at Ransom Everglades. He played really well. I think he threw for 300, but they only had ten points, though," Walker said. "We tried to limit them in some ways, making it hard for them in the red zone, but he's a great player and offensively just making some plays and able to put up 40 points and got the win."

As they prepared for a second-round game at LaSalle on Friday, Walker could not help but discuss his red-zone defense, which clamped down and made stops when necessary.

"Yeah, it gets tight down there. You can't miss — there's not a lot of field down there, so they played different coverages down there, giving him a different look," Walker said. "Like I said, he's a great quarterback, though, so he made a lot of plays that, as a freshman, you shouldn't be able to make. But he played well, though, so I'll give him…"

SMITH AND RAMSEY ALSO IN THE COACHING MOOD

Walker is not the only one on the Dolphins roster with the coaching vibes. Tight end Jonnu Smith coaches the under-9 Cooper City Optimist teams, and Jalen Ramsey has been bitten by the coaching bug.

Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver discussed Walker and Ramsey's passion for coaching Thursday, saying Ramsey is chomping at the bit to get into the coaching game.

"You know what's funny? [I] talk to him a lot about the X's and the O's," Weaver said of Walker. "Jalen Ramsey is another guy who I think at one point, you know when his time is done, would like to coach high school football," Weaver said. "So I talk a lot about the X's and the O's with him too.

"And I love those guys man. Just because the more you know about the game, you can start to figure out when you can take your chances because you know the big picture," Weaver said. "What's happening around you and how often they are trying to attack. And if you can make one or two extra plays a game I mean that could be the difference between winning and losing."

Defensive line coach Austin Clark added another potential future coach on the Dolphins roster — if he's interested, of course — in the form of Calais Campbell.

"He wants to be coached the hardest," Clark said Thursday. "That's the thing I admire most about him. We've got a lot of things in common. Our kids are around the same age and he just wants to be coached hard. He takes coaching, he applies it. He's got great energy every day. I joke with him all the time, I say, man, you have a future in this coaching thing when (you're) done."

BRIDGEWATER MIGHT MAKE A COMEBACK

And then there's former Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who retired from the game last season and became the coach at his alma mater, Miami Northwestern.

The Bulls entered the Florida Class 3A playoffs as the No. 1-ranked team in the class and easily won their first game, 69-0.

As much as he enjoys coaching, Bridgewater tweeted that he might be considering a comeback in the NFL.

"So many QB jobs available for me after we make this state title run," Bridgewater posted. "I can't wait to return back to the NFL."