SEATTLE — Ken Walker III knew he would be getting one of the most important phone calls of his life on April 29, the day of the second and third rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Walker, who normally keeps his phone on "Do Not Disturb," tested it a handful of times with his family, making sure he would be available and ready to answer when the time came for a team to select the former Michigan State running back.
However, as Walker exclusively told KING 5's Jake Garcia, when he checked his phone's home screen around the time of the 40th overall selection, he saw four missed calls from the Seahawks.
"I started kind of like panicking, so I tried to call back," Walker told Garcia. "As I called back, I guess it went to the front office or the security, like 'hey this is Ken Walker, you just called me,' and it's like 'I'm sorry I don't know who you are,' and they hung up.
"So I called back again, and the same thing happened again."
Walker said he tried a third time before seeing an incoming call from the Seahawks, which he answered and finally was connected with Seattle's General Manager John Schneider.
As part of the organization's new digital show, "The Sound," the Seahawks showed a behind-the-scenes look at the tense moments on Day 2 of the draft as the front office tried to get in contact with Walker.
Walker, who won the 2021 Walter Camp Award as the best player in NCAA Division I FBS, was selected 41st overall by the Seahawks. He joins a Seattle rushing attack that ranked top five in the NFL in 2021 in yards per attempt, an attack that likely will rely more heavily on the ground game going forward after the departure of franchise quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason.
As for why his phone normally is on the "Do Not Disturb" setting, Walker tries to keep himself free of digital distractions.
"I don't like to look at notifications because I try to stay off my phone as much as possible, especially like with social media," Walker said.
Walker should be an integral part of the Seahawks' offense this season, and clearly he is focused on honing his craft to prepare for his rookie season.