Lions' Tracy Walker takes playoff benching in stride as next adversity to overcome

Allen Park — While a city and franchise jubilantly celebrated a Detroit Lions' playoff victory for the first time in more than three decades, the moment was bittersweet for Tracy Walker.

A six-year veteran who appeared in all 17 games for the Lions this season — an impressive feat a year removed from a devastating Achilles injury — Walker was a healthy scratch for the contest. What should have been a triumphant moment for a man who has spent his entire career in Detroit and had yet to experience postseason play, saw him watching the 24-23 win over the Los Angeles Rams from the sideline in street clothes.

"I was happy we won, of course, but yeah, bittersweet," Walker said. "I'm not going to say I'm ecstatic because I didn't play. I'm not going to bull---- you. I'm happy we get to keep playing. I'm happy for this city. This city deserves what's going on right now. That's what keeps me going."

For whatever contributions Walker has offered on the field during his time with the Lions, what has made him endearing is his resiliency and his honesty. We've watched him grow these six years not only as a player, but as a man, and a father.

After his second season, when it appeared Walker was on the cusp of becoming one of the league's better safeties, the Lions previous leadership traded for another Patriot, Duron Harmon, subsequently changing Walker's role and reducing his playing time. But while his performance diminished playing out of position, he bit his tongue, plowed through, and plotted an exit for greener pastures if nothing changed.

And while he was battling through that professional angst, he was simultaneously navigating personal strife following the murder of cousin Ahmaud Arbery in early 2020. The case was national news, when three men tracked down, shot and killed Arbery while he was jogging through a Brunswick, Georgia, neighborhood. Walker became a voice in a sea of those clamoring for justice, which helped lead to charges against and the convictions of those three men.

Months before the convictions, sanity-saving football change also arrived in 2021, when the Lions hired Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who vowed to get back to maximizing Walker's skill set. Back in his comfort zone at free safety, Walker predictably rebounded, tallying a career-high 108 tackles, six pass defenses and an interception in 15 starts.

Of course, adversity struck again with the torn Achilles in Week 3 of the 2022 season, derailing another promising season where he was racking up tackles in bunches and showing improvement in coverage his second year in Glenn's scheme.

Walker rolled through the locker room on a scooter late that year with a smile and vowed to be back by training camp. His smile made us smile, even if we weren't as confident as he was he'd be able to meet the aggressive timeline. But he did because he's better at most at getting back up after being knocked down.

Walker says pushing through adversity is in his blood and in his name.

"Honestly, (I get it) from my grandad and my dad," Walker said. "I'm a Tracy Walker, I'm the third one, and we've all dealt with things in our life. But with that name, nothing can break you, you don't allow anything to break you. Life is about adversity, and it's about how you let it shape you and make you. I'm not someone is going to shy away when things aren't going my way."

And Walker is doing everything he can, through his words and actions, to ensure his two sons, including Tracy Walker IV, affectionately known as Quatro, understand the same.

"If I don't demonstrate that, what am I doing?" he said. "When they're grown, they'll understand life isn't peaches and cream, bro. Daddy gave you a great life, but sometimes you've got to work for it and it might not go your way. Sometimes, it's out of your control, but at the end of the day, it's how you respond." 

That ability to keep his head up has been tested once again this season. Walker lost his starting job, twice — first in training camp when rookie Brian Branch's emergence as a playmaker forced the Lions to shuffle the defensive deck, and again in December when the team believed Ifeatu Melifonwu could offer more playmaking potential. To their credit, they were right both times.

When he was benched the first time, Walker's position coach, Brian Duker, praised the veteran's handling of the situation.

"Tracy is a really good pro," Duker said. "He comes to work every day. I would say his role does not define his energy level, it does not define his attitude. He's continued to be — his work ethic is there. His attitude is always there. He's gonna play. At some point, we'll need him."

Yet there's no denying this season hasn't gone the way Walker envisioned when he vowed to get back quickly and fulfilled the prediction through tireless rehab. But the reality of an Achilles injury is even when you're back, you're not always fully back. There's a good chance his body will be further along next season, offering him a chance to rediscover his previous career trajectory. It just might not be in Detroit.

Walker understandably doesn't want to speculate about his future with the Lions. It's hardly the right time, when the franchise is trying to do the unthinkable and make a Super Bowl run. The last thing he wants is to be a distraction. But with a $12.8 million cap hit due in 2024, he doesn't have to say it, the writing is on the wall.

Walker will worry about his future when that time comes. Right now, the former captain is focused on being the best teammate he can be, even if that's working with the scout team through the week of practice and cheering from the sideline on Sunday.

"I've always said life is 10% what happens to you, 90% how you respond," Walker said. "I always keep that perspective and try to live by it. I know my life could be a lot worse. Yeah, I'm not playing when I want to be playing. At the same time, I'm still highly respected in this locker room. I could use this situation as a distraction, to talk about how I disagree with certain things, but I won't. That's not who I am."

Walker rests easy knowing he's played a significant role, on and off the field, to help the Lions' rebuild reach this stage. And he's confident he'll be a key contributor again next season, even if his time here might be nearing its end.

"That's what always kept me going, that's what kept me blessed, is being who I am and never changing," Walker said. "That's it. I'll always keep that mindset that I'll thrive and overcome anything that's put in my path. Even right now, what I'm experiencing now, this is a minor setback for a major comeback. You feel me?"

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

@Justin_Rogers

Divisional round

Buccaneers at Lions

▶ Kickoff: 3 p.m., Sunday, Ford Field

▶ TV/radio: NBC/97.1

▶ Line: Lions by 6 1/2

▶ Records: Tampa Bay (10-8), Detroit (13-5)