Rasheed Walker could have left Penn State for the NFL following the 2020 season, but instead, the redshirt junior from Washington, D.C., decided to return and bolster the Nittany Lions' offensive line in 2021.

It was one of a few bits of good news the team received on that front during the offseason, and now, about eight months later, Walker has been picked as one of six team captains and is set to protect quarterback Sean Clifford from his left tackle position while serving as one of the team's top player leaders.

Being named a captain "just says a lot, and it just makes me want to go harder for them, for my teammates and my coaches and everybody else," Walker told reporters on Tuesday morning.

"I'm just very appreciative to add that label onto my name."

Walker was a third-team All-Big Ten pick in 2020 and as started every game over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-6, 320-pound talent answered a number of questions ahead of another slate of games, and we're highlighting some of his most interesting answers in today's BWI Q&A.

"Ever since I've been playing offensive line, I've always just taken pride in protecting my quarterback's blindside and not letting my man beat me," Walker said. "I feel like I'm just a natural protector at heart, so I really just take pride in my job. Before every game, even in practice, I always go to Cliff and say 'I got you' and he'll be like 'I know.'

"Me and Cliff have a strong relationship. It's understood that I've got his back and he has mine, and that security lets us both play freely."

"We can go all the way back to winter workouts and spring ball, and I think myself and a bunch of people, we didn't realize how important spring ball was, even besides the football aspect but just that time to be around each other, to build relationships. That stuff plays a huge impact with team chemistry," Walker said.

"We had a great spring, which set the foundation for the expectations for the summer, and by the time we got done with fall camp everyone was locked in and knew what the standard was like. We have a thing where, if you're not 10 minutes early to any type of meeting you're late, so stuff like that was already understood. This past spring gave us an advantage and gave us an edge to have an even better camp."

"Since I've been here, I feel like this is the closest team as far as relationships, because since I've been here, it's always been like the upperclassmen lower-classmen thing, but this year it didn't matter who you were – freshman, senior, fifth-year walk-on, everyone hung out together everyone spent quality time together," Walker said. "We all play basketball together, we all go out together. We all go to the movies together, so it was just like, we all have that relationship. No one's scared to call someone out or vice versa.

"If someone sees me doing something that's not the standard, someone's going to say something to me, and I'm not going to get offended, because that's just how all our relationships are. I feel like that's really going to translate to the field, I feel everyone will be playing for each other more, if that makes sense, because that's how our relationship is."

"First, I'm going to say I'm happy he decided to come to Penn State because me and AK, we've been getting some great work, from the spring to the summer. The one thing I'll say about AK is, he comes to practice every day and gives you everything he's got, and I feel like that helped me develop this offseason, this spring and fall camp, and also helped the whole offensive line, because one thing about AK, he's extremely fast, and when you're blocking someone that's that fast every day, it forces you to have to play faster too.

"I can honestly say I don't think I'm gonna see anybody in the Big Ten that can move like AK. AK is a really good football player."

"Jessie Luketa has had a great camp transitioning to the D-end position," Walker said. "He's playing both but he's doing great. Smith Vilbert is doing a very good job. Smith's improvement from when he first got here to now is crazy.

"Nick Tarburton has really stepped up and has been doing his thing. Also, a lot of the interior guys like, I think from the class of 2020 or 2019 like Fatorma Mulbah, he's doing great, Dvon Ellies has had a really good camp, obviously PJ Mustipher is doing his thing, so the D-line, they've been going crazy all camp."

"I know Wisconsin is a really good football team," Walker said. "I'm excited to be able to play like a good powerhouse football team. Wisconsin has always had a good rep to their name, and as far as traveling, I'm just excited.

"I know I'm going to play my game, I'm excited to showcase everything I've been trying to work on this past offseason, and everything my teammates are trying to work on. I'm just excited. I've never been to Wisconsin, so everything is exciting for me, season opener, new setting; it'll be fun."

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