Teary-Eyed Walker Apologizes After Ejection
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Emotions got the best of Quay Walker on the field. Emotions hit Walker in the locker room, too.
The Green Bay Packers’ rookie linebacker was ejected with about 4 minutes remaining in the first half of Sunday night’s loss to the Buffalo Bills. In the locker room afterward, a teary-eyed Walker told reporters, “It was real emotional for me. I came in here, just real, real emotional as you can see.”
Walker tackled his former college teammate, rookie running back James Cook. As both players tumbled out of bounds, someone on the Bills’ sideline – practice squad tight end Zach Davidson, according to the NBC telecast – bent down to prevent Walker from rolling into his legs and briefly grabbed Walker’s left arm.
It all seemed innocent enough. But Walker got up, turned around and shoved Davidson.
“I felt somebody push me from behind and I probably misinterpreted on what it was,” Walker said. “I just felt the push and I’m on their sideline, feelings just flowing. I’m very hyped and everything like that and I just let it out of emotion. Right away, as soon as I did that, I regretted that I did that. But it’s something I’m going to have to live with and I’m going to have to face. I’m willing to do so. But I apologized to the guy that I did push, although I did feel like I was pushed.”
Walker was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and got an earful from coach Matt LaFleur on the sideline. Moments later, Walker was ejected and escorted to the locker room by director of player engagement and former Packers lineman Grey Ruegamer.
“I don’t know exactly what happened. I could not see it,” LaFleur said. “But, like I told him on the field, I said it’s always the second guy. You’ve got to keep your poise. That’s something we talk about, we stress all the time, and we show clips of guys around the league losing their mind.
“It’s an unfortunate lesson that he’s going to learn, and I hope it’s a good reminder for everybody on our football team because that’s the kind of stuff that I have zero tolerance for. Mistakes are going to happen in this game, but losing your cool, losing your poise, putting the team in jeopardy, I’ve got no tolerance for that.”
At the moment, Walker had a team-high five tackles and one forced fumble. Adding injury to insult, the Packers lost All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell to a knee injury just before halftime. With Walker and Campbell in the locker room, backups Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson had to finish the game.
The impact on the team, and his reputation, stung Walker after the game.
“It’s something I can’t do, and that’s something I already know,” he said. “I hate that I did it because people that don’t really know me are going to really assume that I’m this bad guy just because of that one play. [LaFleur] told me I can’t do that. And normally in those situations they always get the second guy, so it’s just something I can’t do.”
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