Seattle running back earns first MVP for position since 1997; Walker rushes for 135 yards on 27 carries in 29-13 win over Patriots, becomes only third player with multiple 25-plus yard runs in Super Bowl
Kenneth Walker III achieved something no running back has accomplished in over 25 years. After delivering a dominant rushing performance that carried the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-13 Super Bowl LX victory over the New England Patriots, Walker was named Super Bowl MVP the first running back to earn the award since Denver’s Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII following the 1997 season. The 135 rushing yards Walker accumulated on 27 carries also marked the most by any player in a Super Bowl since Davis, cementing Walker’s place among the most prolific Super Bowl running backs in NFL history.
- Seattle running back earns first MVP for position since 1997; Walker rushes for 135 yards on 27 carries in 29-13 win over Patriots, becomes only third player with multiple 25-plus yard runs in Super Bowl
- The complete offensive package
- From uncertainty to excellence
- Char bonnet’s injury propelled Walker into spotlight
Walker’s achievement carries particular significance given that he entered the game with the longest odds for MVP honors plus 850 since Patriots receiver Julian Edelman in Super Bowl LIII. Few expected the soft-spoken, hard-working running back to steal headlines on football’s biggest stage, yet his game did exactly that, speaking as loudly as thunder across Levi’s Stadium.
For the first 30 minutes of the game, Walker was essentially the only player generating offensive production for either team. He broke off runs of 29 and 30 yards in a three-play span to set up Seattle’s second field goal, becoming only the third player in Super Bowl history to record multiple rushes of 25-plus yards in a single championship game. His dominance in the opening half proved even more impressive: Walker accumulated 94 yards on 14 carries by halftime, the second-highest rushing total for an opening half in Super Bowl history. Only Washington’s Timmy Smith in Super Bowl XXII in 1988 surpassed that mark with 131 yards.
The complete offensive package
Walker’s MVP performance extended beyond pure rushing yards. He added 26 receiving yards on two catches, giving him 161 total scrimmage yards and demonstrating the versatility that makes modern running backs valuable. Sunday night represented Walker’s third consecutive playoff game with 100-plus scrimmage yards a feat no other Seahawks running back had accomplished in franchise history.
The statistical dominance Walker displayed throughout the postseason proved equally impressive. Across three playoff games, He accumulated 313 rushing yards, falling just shy of Marshawn Lynch’s franchise postseason record of 318 yards established after the 2014 season. His 417 total scrimmage yards and four touchdowns led all players throughout the entire postseason, establishing him as the most productive running back during Seattle’s championship run.
From uncertainty to excellence
Walker’s path to Super Bowl MVP stardom wasn’t predetermined. Entering his senior year at Arlington High in Tennessee, Walker’s football future became uncertain when he woke one summer morning in 2018 unable to breathe. An emergency room visit revealed blood clots in both of his lungs a life-threatening condition that forced him to confront his mortality while questioning whether he would ever play football again. The diagnosis could have ended his career before it truly began, but with his parents’ support throughout his recovery, Walker persevered and eventually returned to the field.
That journey from near-tragedy to championship MVP gave Walker’s achievement additional emotional weight. The gratitude he expressed for the opportunity to play the game he nearly lost transformed his performance into something transcendent. Every carry, every block, every snap represented a gift he had once feared losing forever.
Char bonnet’s injury propelled Walker into spotlight
His opportunity to become the featured back materialized when teammate Zach Char bonnet tore his left ACL during the divisional round playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers. The injury forced Seattle to rely on him, and his body language and work ethic immediately signaled his readiness to shoulder a larger role. Char bonnet wasn’t surprised by Walker’s MVP performance, expressing confidence in his teammate’s ability to handle the workload and deliver when championship moments arrived.
He honored Char bonnet throughout the postseason by carrying his teammate’s number 26 written on his wrist, a symbolic gesture of respect and shared responsibility. Though a fourth-quarter touchdown run was called back due to a holding penalty before Walker could show the gesture to cameras, the message remained clear: He was carrying the offense for his injured teammate and his team.
The performance cemented Walker’s status as one of football’s elite running backs and raised questions about his free agency future with the Seahawks, but on Sunday night, such concerns faded. He had accomplished something rare and remarkable winning Super Bowl MVP as a running back, proving the position remains vital on football’s biggest stage.
