Super 11 Gary Walker Q&A: Clemson RB commit shreds tackles and guitar strings

The AJC Super 11 has recognized Georgia’s 11 best high school senior football players every year since 1985. Football legends like Charlie Ward, Travis Hunter and Eric Berry headline a distinguished legacy that continues in 2026.

Running back Gary Walker is the fourth Super 11 selection from Creekside. He joins CB Eric Berry (2006), DB/WR Josh Holsey (2011) and WR Jayson Stanley (2014).

Walker helped Creekside break the state’s single-season scoring record with 1,669 yards rushing and 20 touchdowns last year. The AJC all-state player and Clemson commit answered questions ranging from his best play on tape to a hidden talent away from the field.

How would you describe your play style, and what do you think opposing coaches see when they prepare to play you?

“I would say I’m a downhill runner, I’m explosive and I pound the rock.”

Which game are you looking forward to most this year?

“Langston Hughes. It’s an in-city rival. I know a lot of the guys. We’ve been playing youth ball since 5 and 6 years old. It’s crazy how we’re going to match up our senior year as the next-best team in our region.”

What is your favorite high school memory to date?

“My touchdown in the (2025) state championship game. I had the first touchdown of the game. I broke out for, like, a 50-or-60-yard run. It was just an unreal moment. It felt great. The crowd went wild. My parents were proud, them was proud. The camera was in my face. I wasn’t expecting all that, but it was good.”

What is your advice to younger players around the state that are starting to get recruited?

“I would say just stay down and keep going. Everybody’s story is a little different. People are going to have different obstacles and stuff like that, but I would just say stay down and keep going.”

Who was the best player you ever played against, and why?

“Probably (Clemson linebacker) Sammy Brown. My freshman year, we played Jefferson in the fourth round (of the playoffs). He scored two touchdowns in the first quarter versus us, and he was just strong. On the defensive side of the ball, he would just attack. We had to really game plan and focus on him.”

Who is the most underrated teammate or player in Georgia right now?

“I would say (Creekside linebacker) Tavarre Terrell, my teammate. I’m not how many sacks he had last year, but I know it was something crazy. I think he had the most sacks in Georgia. He’s going to Georgia State, but I feel like he is still under-recruited. He’s a dog. The best defensive player on the field at all times.”

What coach has made the biggest impact in your life, and why?

“I would say (Creekside coach Maurice Dixon). I’ve been playing with his son and I’ve been knowing him for a long time. He always believed in me, no matter what happened, and he just watched me develop and grow, and then when I got to high school, he developed into what I’ve become today.”

What’s a line that one of your coaches says at least once a day at practice?

“‘Die for the C.’ That means put the team first, no matter what. Just keep going because it’s for a greater cause, it’s for the team. Just put everything on the line for the C.”

Do you have a hidden talent or interest that has nothing to do with football?

“I’m really good at playing the guitar. I used to play for the church, so my favorite song (to play) is ‘Mary, Did You Know?’”

What would be the best play on your highlight tape?

“I would say last year in the second round (of the playoffs against) Ware County. I broke a 93-yard run, broke a tackle, one cut, and then I just outran everybody.”

You’re committed to being Sammy Brown’s teammate next season. Have you reminisced on that Creekside-Jefferson game with him recently?