Why Tracy Walker's Return to Starting Lineup Is Extra Special

Tracy Walker returns to the starting lineup one year after his Achilles injury.

The injury bug certainly reared its ugly head in the Detroit Lions’ Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Several players succumbed to physical ailments, including multiple individuals in Detroit’s defensive backfield (C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Kerby Joseph).

Gardner-Johnson is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle, while the status of Joseph – who is battling a hip injury – is still up in the air.

Veteran safety Tracy Walker is expected to benefit the most from the absence of Gardner-Johnson. Walker logged just nine total defensive snaps against the Seahawks, but should be in store for a significant uptick in Week 3 with Gardner-Johnson out and potentially also Joseph.

Walker is ready to take advantage of the opportunity that’s been afforded to him, due to the Lions’ injury woes.

“It’s definitely a tough situation losing C.J. He definitely brought a different aspect to our team,” Walker said of Gardner-Johnson. “His energy, his enthusiasm is definitely going to be missed. He was definitely a great player for us.

“For me, I just look at it as a great opportunity for me to come back, considering I’m coming back from my injury. Like I said, it’s a special week for me, considering the week of, the same week I tore my Achilles. So, it’s such a blessing for me, and I’m just looking at it, just to capitalize on an opportunity right now.”

Walker, who’s been a member of the Lions since the organization drafted him in 2018 (No. 82 overall), does have a wealth of playing experience. He’s suited up for 64 games, including 37 starts, throughout his NFL career. However, the sixth-year pro played in just three games a season ago, after injuring his Achilles – as Walker mentioned to reporters Wednesday – in a Week 3 contest with the Minnesota Vikings.

Now, a year later, the Georgia native is back in a starting role in Detroit’s secondary.

“I just feel like this is all God’s plan. He took me away from the game last year at this time, and He’s bringing me back into the game in this situation,” Walker commented. “So, it’s a great spot to be in, and like I said, I’m blessed. I’m very blessed.”

He also feels like he’s improved since the 2022 campaign, when he last played meaningful snaps and suited up as a starter.

“I feel great. I’m the same player, actually I feel like I’m better than when I got hurt,” Walker expressed. “So, like I said, I’ve got to take the good with the bad. It sucked being away from the game of football last year, the way I was. But, at the end of the day, I was able to learn, and develop and grow mentally, physically and emotionally. So, I’m a lot better in that aspect, and that’s just the way I feel.”

Last week, the first-team offense was introduced at Ford Field. Walker said he'll likely feel extra emotional walking out of the tunnel this week, if the starting defense is introduced. 

"It's gonna be very emotional for me. It's gonna definitely spark some emotions and some feelings," Walker said. "But, at the end of the day, I still gotta go out there and play ball. But, I'm gonna be so happy to fly around." 

For the savvy defensive back, his confidence has never wavered. 

"Y'all gonna see '21'  make a lot of plays," he expressed. 

Playing on new synthetic turf at Ford Field

The Lions upgraded their playing surface at Ford Field over the offseason, upgrading from the controversial slit-film turf to the “FieldTurf Core'' system. The new artificial turf is a monofilament field turf, which is viewed as the most grass-like surface of the three types of turf used in NFL stadiums.

Walker, like many of the Lions players, feels the upgraded turf at Ford Field is more comfortable to play on.

“It’s softer, it feels better, and that’s what it’s all about,” Walker told All Lions’ John Maakaron. “Like I said, people are listening to us, so we’ve got to continue to talk about it, continue to push for it. The great thing about our owners is that they made a point to make that change. So, hopefully the other owners get on top of it, and we can continue to make the progress toward that.”