Kenneth Walker III is still riding the emotional high of a championship performance after the Seattle Seahawks captured the Super Bowl with a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots.
In a game that divided viewers over the halftime show, the on-field spotlight belonged firmly to the Seahawks running back, who delivered one of the most dominant Super Bowl performances in recent memory.
Walker was named Super Bowl LX MVP after rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries, powering Seattle‘s offense throughout the night.
He also had a rushing touchdown erased by a holding penalty, a moment that did little to diminish the impact of his performance.
With the award, Walker became the first running back to earn Super Bowl MVP honors since 1998, ending a drought that spanned more than two decades.
By halftime alone, Walker had already amassed 94 rushing yards on 14 carries – the second-most by any player in a Super Bowl opening half. Only Washington running back Timmy Smith, who exploded for 131 yards in Super Bowl XXII in 1988, recorded more.
It was a statement performance that exhibited why Seattle leaned so heavily on him when the stakes were highest.
A viral sideline moment steals unexpected attention
Despite the historic numbers, one peculiar moment during the Super Bowl sparked widespread conversation online.
As Walker made his way to the sidelines, he encountered a water girl offering him a bottle. What followed quickly went viral.
The sequence showed Walker removing his helmet and staring straight ahead, seemingly unaware of the bottle being held out in front of him.
The water girl waited, glanced toward the field, and continued holding the bottle after receiving no acknowledgment. Only after several seconds did Walker finally look down and notice it.
The brief interaction ignited debate across social media, with fans dissecting everything from body language to situational awareness in the middle of a championship game.
The moment, while harmless, contrasted sharply with the poise Walker displayed on the field, where his focus and physicality never wavered.
That resolve was especially meaningful given the path he took to reach this moment.
A difficult path to the Super Bowl
Before the 2025 season, Walker was the subject of trade rumors, with Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet pushing him out of the spotlight with his own strong play.
An injury further complicated Walker‘s season, but once healthy, he reminded everyone exactly who he was. Ironically, Charbonnet was then ruled out for the rest of the season, meaning Seattle had to put their trust in his carrying of the ball.
Known in high school as “Thunder Shoes,” Walker has long carried a reputation in the Seattle locker room as soft-spoken and relentlessly hardworking. In the postseason – and especially in the Super Bowl – he let his performance speak volumes.
“It’s surreal; K9’s one of one,” Seahawks guard Grey Zabel said.
“This guy is super deserving of all the success that he has and is going to continue to have. There’s nobody I’d rather block for than K9.”
The timing of Walker‘s breakout could not be more significant. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March after completing the final year of his rookie contract, which carried a salary-cap number just under $2.7 million.
After the win over the Patriots, Seahawks general manager John Schneider reiterated the desire to keep him while acknowledging the financial implications.
“I’m happy for him,” Schneider said. “You want to see people be able to take care of their families and do whatever they can to increase their earning power.
“Obviously we’d love to have Ken back. That stuff will play out in two weeks. We go to the combine, start talking to everybody and see what the landscape could look like for the spring.”
For now, Walker stands as both a Super Bowl MVP and the center of one of the game’s most talked-about moments – both for good and odd reasons.
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