Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was named the MVP of Super Bowl LX after Seattle's 29-13 win over the New England Patriots at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Walker, who rushed 27 times for 135 yards and added 26 receiving yards on two catches, became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP since Denver's Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII following the 1997 season.
Walker joined an exclusive list of running backs to win the Super Bowl MVP award, which also includes Larry Csonka, Franco Harris, John Riggins, Marcus Allen, Ottis Anderson, Emmitt Smith, and Terrell Davis. Astonishingly, he became only the fifth offensive player in Super Bowl history to earn MVP honors without scoring or throwing a touchdown, alongside Joe Namath, Fred Biletnikoff, Deion Branch, and Julian Edelman, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The 135 rushing yards by the 25-year-old were the most in a Super Bowl in nearly three decades, surpassing all players since Davis' 157-yard performance. He also joined Timmy Smith (Super Bowl XXII) and Marcus Allen as one of the few players to record multiple 25-plus-yard runs in a Super Bowl, including runs of 29 and 30 yards in a three-play stretch that set up the Seahawks second field goal. By halftime, Walker had 94 yards on 14 carries, the second-highest first-half rushing total in Super Bowl history.
Deprived of a touchdown when a 49-yard run was nullified by a holding penalty on center Jalen Sundell, Walker nonetheless steered the offense forward. He was responsible for nearly 48% of Seattle's offensive yards through the first three quarters and consistently set up kicker Jason Myers, who became the first kicker to make five field goals in a Super Bowl, converting from 33, 39, 41, 41, and 26 yards.
After Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, Walker stepped into a bell-cow role, setting the stage for his MVP performance. Over three postseason games, Walker carried 65 times for 313 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and scored four total touchdowns, adding nine receptions for 104 yards. He also became the only player in Seahawks history to record 100-plus scrimmage yards in three consecutive playoff games. Including the Week 18 regular-season finale against the 49ers, Walker had four straight 100-yard scrimmage games to close out the season.
While entering his senior year at Arlington High School in Tennessee in 2018, he faced blood clots in both lungs, leaving his football future in doubt. He has since earned the nickname “Thunder Shoes” and maintained a soft-spoken, workmanlike approach in Seattle's locker room. After a historic playoff stretch and MVP performance, Walker heads into unrestricted free agency with heightened demand; however, the Seahawks have already expressed a desire to retain him despite the likely uptick in his price tag.
