Years from now, some people might wonder how Kenneth Walker III didn’t get an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony after his radiant 2021 season. That is, if they aren’t wondering already.

Whether or not he was a Heisman snub, the former Michigan State standout owns plenty of hardware now. Not only a Super Bowl ring, as his Seattle Seahawks downed the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl 60. Walker also earned MVP honors with his 135-yard performance.

Walker is the first Michigan State player to earn Super Bowl MVP honors. He is also the first MVP for his previous school, Wake Forest, where he played two seasons before transferring. He’s also the 31st Michigan State letterman to win a Super Bowl, and the first running back to join the list.

In his lone season at Michigan State in 2021, Walker ran for 1,636 yards and 18 touchdowns, including a signature five-touchdown performance to beat Michigan. He finished the year as the Walter Camp Player of the Year, but in Heisman voting he finished sixth. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young took home the Heisman that year, while Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, now a Detroit Lion, finished runner-up.

A few months later in the 2022 NFL draft, Seattle picked Walker 41st overall. In four seasons with the Seahawks, Walker has rushed for 3,555 yards and 29 touchdowns, with just two career fumbles, neither lost.

Walker ran for 94 yards on 14 carries in the first half of the Super Bowl, including gains of 30 and 29 yards to set up a Seahawks field goal. According to ESPN, only two other players (Timmy Smith, Marcus Allen) have recorded two or more 25-yard gains in a Super Bowl. As Walker led all players in yards from scrimmage, Seattle led 9-0 at halftime.

In the second half, Walker picked up 41 more yards including 14- and 10-yard gains midway through the fourth quarter to set up another field goal to make it 22-7. Walker also broke a touchdown run with 2:01 on the clock that was called back for a hold on offensive lineman Jalen Sundell.

Walker is the first running back named Super Bowl MVP since Denver’s Terrell Davis in 1998, when he rushed for 157 yards in a Super Bowl XXXII win over Green Bay.

Smith owns the record for most rushing yards in a Super Bowl with 204, which led Washington to a victory over Denver in Super Bowl XXII.

Forty NCAA schools have produced a Super Bowl MVP, including eight Big Ten schools: Michigan (six), Southern Cal (three), Purdue (two), Ohio State (one), UCLA (one), Maryland (one) and now Michigan State (one).

Super Bowl MVPs by Big Ten school

Michigan — Desmond Howard (XXXI), Tom Brady (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, LI, LV)

Southern Cal — Lynn Swann (X), Marcus Allen (XVIII), Malcolm Smith (XLVIII)

Purdue — Len Dawson (IV), Drew Brees (XLIV)

Penn State — Franco Harris (IX)

Maryland —Randy White (XII)

UCLA —Troy Aikman (XXVII)

Ohio State —Santonio Holmes (XLIII)

Michigan State — Kenneth Walker (LX)

cearegood@detroitnews.com @ConnorEaregood

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