MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football running back Tywun Walters recently sat down with USAJaguars.com to discuss his second degree that he's currently working on, what he wants to do after football and what the team needs to do over the final four games of the regular season, among other things.
Walters, a senior from Marks, Miss., has been a member of the Jaguar program since the 2017 season after transferring from Northwest Mississippi CC. Walters saw action in each of the first eight games a year ago and this season he has competed in five contests for South on special teams and in the backfield. In his last outing against Troy, Walters ran the ball twice for 17 yards.
You already hold one degree having graduated this past May. What degree are you working on now and how long do you have left on obtaining it?
"Right now, I'm working on my communications degree. I have one semester left and hopefully I'll graduate with in next May. One of my mentors had told me that communications was a good field to get into."
What do you want to do with your communications degree?
"I want to go into broadcasting and be like Steven A. Smith."
Talk to me about the depth of the running back group and what you see as your role with them.
"We have a lot of depth in the room. I feel like my role is to get everybody going so that they can get going in a game. I'm the engine. I can speak and they will listen."
What did you work on in the offseason in order to improve as a player?
"I worked a lot on my footwork in the offseason. I also worked on my vision, speed and strength. Something else that I did this season that I haven't done before was that I watch a lot of film. I feel like the more I can know my opponent, the better I can play. It has slowed the game down for me."
Where do you've made the biggest improvement either on or off the field since last season?
"I feel the biggest improvement that I've made from last season to this season is in my catching ability out of the backfield. I also feel that I can run routes better out to the backfield."
What do you see as the role of the running back in offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield's offensive scheme?
"The running backs have an important role in this offensive scheme. In order for the offense to flow well, we have to be able to run the ball."
Does it compare to what you ran at Northwest Mississippi or in high school?
"It's very different from what I ran in high school because we were a triple option team. It's similar to what we ran in junior college with the exceptions that we run a little more power and throw more deep balls."
How have you improved from the offseason conditioning program?
"The offseason conditioning has helped me a lot, as well as the rest of our team. In the fourth quarter, I feel that we are able to wear teams down because of our conditioning."
What factored into your decision to come to South Alabama?
"I love the city of Mobile, I loved the old coaching staff and it just felt like a home when I came on my visit here."
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"In my spare time, I like to play 2K and a little Fortnite. I also like to go jean shopping."
How did junior college help prepare you for Division I football?
"It prepared me mentally and made me more ready for the type of atmosphere that we live in."
What were some differences between junior college and Division I football?
"The speed of the game and the technique you have to play with stand out to me. You have to be a technician at the Division I level."
How do you feel like you have improved since junior college?
"I feel that I'm much faster and stronger. I also feel that my [football] IQ is higher than it was in junior college."
What kind of role have you take on the team this season?
"I just took on the role of helping anyway that I could, whether that was playing on special teams, running the ball or catching the ball out of the back field. I just want to play a role where I can help motivate the team and help them improve on doing the little things right."
What do you feel the team needs to do over the final four games in order to close out the season strong?
"Over these next four games, we have to do all of the little things right. We have to go to class, get our study hall ours, go to practice and practice hard every day in order to achieve what we want to achieve. We can't get complacent. We just have to go out there and play our type of game and we'll be fine."
Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
"I would say my little brother, my mom and my uncle Johnny. Those are the biggest influences on my life; I don't ever want to let them down. I always want to see them happy. They come to the games and support me and they have since I was in high school. They just have a special place in my heart."
What other sports did you play in high school?
"I played baseball; I was a shortstop and a catcher. I played a little basketball. I played golf. I did powerlifting and I played tennis too."
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