MANHATTAN, Kan. – Following a season in which he recorded 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, Kansas State defensive end Reggie Walker has been named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the organization announced Monday.

Walker is the sixth Wildcat to earn the honor since the FWAA began naming Freshman All-American teams in 2001. He is the first K-State player to be honored since place kicker Matthew McCrane made the squad in 2014, while he is the first Wildcat defender to earn a spot on the team since defensive back Ty Zimmerman in 2010.

A product of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Walker was seventh overall in the Big 12 in sacks and eighth in TFLs but was tops among freshmen in both categories. He was also second in school history in sacks among freshmen, just 1.5 shy of the school record held by Dwyane Castille in 1984.

In addition to his sacks and TFLs, Walker concluded his initial campaign with 39 total tackles, three forced fumbles and a pair of fumble recoveries, tying for third and eighth, respectively, in the final two categories.

Walker’s inclusion on the FWAA list is in addition other multiple honors this year as he was a First Team Freshman All-American by Campus Insiders and the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches and ESPN.com.

K-State opens the 2017 season at home by hosting Central Arkansas on Saturday, September 2. The Wildcats return 18 players that made at least one start this past season on a team that earned a 9-4 record and defeated Texas A&M in the 2016 Texas Bowl.

— K-State Athletics —