Walk-on wonder
KENT, Ohio — A neck problem cost Lee Stalker his junior year of football in high school.
He's been more than paid back in full.
A 2007 Butler graduate, Stalker was a 185-pound linebacker at the time doctors discovered the second and third vertebrae in his neck had been fused together since birth.
“When they told me I couldn't play anymore ... it was the worst thing in my life,” Stalker said. “But now, looking back on it, I'm almost happy it happened.
“Not playing for a year made me realize how much I appreciated football. When I was (medically) cleared to play the following year, I never quit working at it.”
He's still working at it.
Stalker recently ended his football career as a walk-on at Kent State University. Now a 6-foot-3, 274-pound defensive end, he was a team captain as a senior this year and one of only two seniors starting for the Golden Flashes on defense.
“Walk-ons make it in college football,” Kent State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said. “We coaches don't always get it right in terms of recruiting.
“But it takes a special kind of kid to make it as a walk-on. Work ethic, perseverance, toughness — Lee has all of those qualities.”
Erich Campbell was the defensive line coach at Butler when Stalker was there. He became a defensive end at 215 pounds his senior year with the Golden Tornado and excelled, earning All-WPIAL honors with a season that included 62 tackles, four quarterback sacks and three blocked punts.
Stalker's collegiate football looks were primarily Division II, however, and he was attracted by Kent State's architectural school.
“When he saw a chance to walk on, Lee just decided to go for it,” Campbell said. “He has the drive and the will. He didn't want football to end.”
Stalker went on to earn scout team awards for two years with the Golden Flashes. He played in all 12 games his junior year — starting six — and made 27 tackles, including 7 1/2 for loss.
This year, Stalker started every game under a new coaching staff, making 29 tackles, four for loss, and collecting a pair of quarterback sacks.
Kent State began the year 1-6 before winning four of its last five games.
“Lee was one of the guys who held this team together. He spoke to the team before and after games. His teammates voted him to be a captain, a pretty remarkable thing for a walk-on player,” Heacock said.
“I was honored by that,” Stalker said. “Being a captain on a top-level defense like we had is something I'll never forget.”
Kent State's defense ranked among the top 20 in the nation statistically and five members of that defense made All-Mid American Conference, the first time the Flashes have turned that trick since 1974.Stalker did not make All-MAC, but he left a lasting impression on the coaching staff.“That kid has a world of confidence in himself,” Heacock said. “His achievements here serve as a model to other players as to where hard work can get you.”Stalker was one of 50 candidates this season for the Burlsworth Trophy, a national award given to the walk-on player who went on to have the best career.Stalker hopes his football days aren't over yet. An architectural studies major, he will be one of a handful of Kent State players taking part in a pro day on campus March 7.“I would go to the CFL (Canadian Football League) for a chance to play, but my No. 1 goal is to get a shot at the NFL as a free agent,” Stalker said. “It's a long shot, but it's one worth taking for me.”Why not? He's beaten the odds before.“I've seen guys' careers ended by injury. I know what that feels like,” Stalker said. “If I can still play, I want to keep playing.“When we lost our last game to Temple, we finished 5-7 and weren't bowl eligible. It was strange, walking off that feel knowing I may never play again. I do see myself getting into coaching, though.”Campbell won't rule out Stalker's pro chances, either.“Lee is a great kid. I talked with him every week during this football season,” Campbell said. “What he went through to play at Kent is the toughest thing he's had to do. So, yeah, he could do it again.”
