FIVE QUESTIONS WITH MONMOUTH FOOTBALL ASSISTANT COACH LEWIS WALKER
 
1. What brought you to Monmouth to coach?
 
Lewis Walker: The thing that brought me to Monmouth was the culture that had been established here by Coach Callahan and the stability he had in this program. I knew he was a great guy to work under and to learn from, but also the maturity that the defensive back position had. Coach Callahan gave me my first opportunity to become the DB coach here and I walked into a room that had a lot of experience on the field which made my first full time coaching opportunity that much easier to transition to. The final stamp was the level of competition and the opportunity to have the chance at playing in the playoffs was a big deal too. Now that I have been here for some years, I can say living at the shore isn't so bad either. 
 

2. You've had some pretty talented players under your direction the last few years – how does the defensive backfield in 2020 match up?

LW: The players this program had when I first walked through the doors made life for me a lot easier to start out. Having such an experienced position group allowed me to really dive into the playbook and learn all facets of it. Players like Mike Basile, Tymere Berry, Kamau Dumas, Teddie Martinez and Kyle Gregory I believe helped me grow faster and mature to be able to develop other All Conference players and All Americans like Justin Terry and Anthony Budd. This group we have in 2020 will be a different look of players we have had in the past. I believe we have gotten much faster and a bit more athletic now. The biggest difference is the experience on the field. But this program is known for developing guys like this into those All American and All Conference players. It is simply why this program has been successful and will continue to be.

3. You played collegiately at Hawaii and Utah, how does playing at the highest level of college football help you evaluate and coach the Monmouth defensive backs?

LW: My playing experience allowed me to be coached by some great people and I have modeled my style around some of those guys, along with others I have met since moving into the coaching world. As far as evaluating, playing at the highest level allowed me to play with some guys who have been first round draft picks like Star Lotulelei, or guys like Eric Rowe who has multiple Super Bowl rings. I know that talent level but every program is different. We look for a specific type of person to enter the Monmouth football family. The skill set has to be there and you can tell by watching what they have done on film or in workouts but we don't take talent alone.

4. What do you look for in a defense back when recruiting? What is the biggest thing you sell recruits?

LW: There are different levels of things I look for when recruiting a DB. The first thing us as coaches ever come in contact with is the athleticism and football skill. I look for quick feet, explosiveness, fluid hips, body control and a competitive player. I believe you can have those things and then the rest is up to us to develop them into great player on the field. The next thing would be the academic side with the grades and then later down the road the test score. The final piece is the character they possess. Are they good people that will do the right things when no one is watching or guiding them? But our order of process after having all of that information is Character, Academics, athletic abilities. 

5. Finally, you can be found on campus going to a lot of sporting events- other than football what is your favorite Monmouth athletics event to attend and why?

LW: This is a tough question to pick just one. We have a lot of successful programs here at Monmouth with great atmospheres. I am all about supporting our community. I will give a two-prong answer. Men's Basketball because of the atmosphere the game has, but also Women's Lacrosse because they have the JUICE and I am all about it. Not to mention Coach Jordan Trautman has built a great culture within that program. It was sad to see both of their seasons be cut short.
 
Walker graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in communications with a focus in media studies and broadcasting. The Lancaster, CA native has mentored six All-Big South selections in his first three seasons, including three of four starters in 2019.