Manny Walker has a nickname and a spot on Temple's D-line
Manny Walker hasn’t been at Temple long, but he already has a nickname.
Walker is referred to as “Handy Manny,” an ode to how he uses his hands as a pass-rusher, graduate defensive tackle Dan Archibong said tongue-in-cheek during Friday’s media availability.
All jokes aside, Archibong has been impressed with the Wake Forest grad transfer’s willingness to be coached up by defensive line coach Walter Stewart, and adds that Walker has been a welcome personality to the defensive line room.
After going through a revolving door of departures at the defensive end position this past offseason, Temple brought in Walker to help replace Quincy Roche. Walker didn’t feel he would be getting enough playing time down in Winston-Salem, so he opted to enter the transfer portal.
That decision, albeit a tough one, was one Walker felt he needed to make. Otherwise, he’d be doing a disservice to himself, he told OwlScoop.com back in February.
“He’s everything we’ve wanted him to be,” Temple head coach Rod Carey said on Aug. 28. “He’s a great young man and a great young worker. He has all the physical skills that we’re looking for. I’m really anxious to take the next step and find out more about them.”
While Carey will have to wait for the next step to come until Temple takes on Navy on Oct. 10, the 23-year-old Walker brings a different level of experience in that he has played for a Power-Five school, something his counterparts at the defensive end group can’t say.
At Wake Forest, Walker redshirted his freshman season. An injury during summer workouts sidelined him for the entire 2017 season. In the past two seasons, Walker played in 22 games. During his time with the Demon Deacons, Walker recorded 16 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
“He’s brought a different style of pass rush," Temple defensive tackle Ifeanyi Maijeh said. "He has a great long arm. So it's a different variety of pass-rush moves along the defensive end position, which can really help free up pass-rush lanes for the [defensive] tackles.”
Walker was in a unique situation for a transfer. He committed to Temple before the coronavirus pandemic forced the country to be shut down. Walker was able to take an official visit to Temple’s campus in February before officially committing.
Once he decided to enter the transfer portal, Walker was contacted by schools like Boise State, East Carolina and Coastal Carolina, but was his immediate connection with Stewart that sold Walker on Temple. Stewart reached out to Walker via Twitter and there was an instant bond.
Since then, Walker has been that exact veteran presence that Temple needed to restore its room with Roche departing, along with Dana Levine, DeAndre Kelly and Zack Mesday.
“The thing that he’s really brought to the table to help with Dan, Ifeanyi and even Arnold [Ebeketie] is he’s brought some veteran practice habits,” Stewart said on Aug. 28. “He practices well, practices his butt off, and is a very coachable student of the game. Adding another upperclassman to the room and being able for the young guys to see another upperclassmen conduct business and conduct day-to-day, that’s something that’s been really good for the younger guys to see.”
As for Walker, he feels very comfortable running with the first-team defense. Since arriving on campus this summer, Temple feels like the place he should be, he said.
“I wanted to play,” Walker added when asked why he chose Temple. “I felt like I wasn’t getting enough playing time to show what I can do and coming here. I feel like I can show people what I can do and I can contribute to this team as well."