Bio

A three-year starter at free safety, Matt Walker earned first-team All-North Central Conference (NCC) honors as a junior and senior after he topped the team in tackles during the 1998 and 1999 campaigns. A third-team Football Gazette All-American as a senior, he graduated as Morningside's record holder with 215 career solo tackles. His 215 career solo tackles and 401 career total tackles are now the second-highest totals in Morningside history. 

"The entire football experience (in college) was awesome," Matt reflected. "The competition (in the North Central Conference) was among the best in NCAA Division II; I was able to play with some great teammates who are still great friends, and the opportunity to be able to work with different coaches who influenced my playing career in many ways were the highlights.

(Former defensive coordinator) Mike Shane and (former defensive back coaches) Carlos James and Clay Jennings played an important role in getting me to where I was able (to produce those defensive strong points)," he added. "I just loved playing the game no matter the outcome. We were in rebuilding mode (with a new head coach) initially, but we were able to be competitive (over the last three seasons)."

He posted three 100-tackle seasons, starting with his sophomore campaign when he had a team-high 67 solo stops to go along with 53 assists for 120 total tackles. That season he had career highs of 14 assisted tackles and 20 total tackles in a game against Northern Colorado. Walker earned second-team Daktronics All-Midwest Region honors and was Morningside's defensive MVP as a junior when he led the NCC with a career-high 143 tackles, including a school-record 84 solo stops, to go along with a team-high four interceptions. Walker had seven double-figure tackle performances and was Morningside's leading tackler in nine of its 11 games that year while compiling a school-record 13 solo tackles in games against North Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha. His numbers continued to crescendo as a senior, leading the NCC in tackles again with 62 solos and 65 assists for 127 total tackles, including eight stops behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 17 yards. He was named to the Daktronics All-Midwest Region first team and received Morningside's defensive MVP award for the second year in a row.