Walker not content with impressive numbers

WALKING THE WALK Pitt junior free safety Ramon Walker has been on a hitting spree this season. His tackling statistics:

Opponent Solo Assists Total East Tennessee State 9 2 11 South Florida 6 5 11 Miami 14 8 22 Notre Dame 12 8 20 Total 41 23 64 Note: Walker's projected tackles for the season is 176, which would shatter the school record of 168 set by Troy Benson in 1984.

Ramon Walker sat quietly as the statistics were being read off to him: 22 tackles against No. 1 Miami, 20 against Notre Dame, 11 each against East Tennessee State and South Florida .

Walker didn't flinch. Didn't even crack a smile.

The junior free safety at Pitt looked straight ahead while his impressive numbers were being rattled off. He then offered a response.

'I also missed some,' he said, softly. 'I missed one against Notre Dame, three against Miami, one against South Florida and one against East Tennessee.'

Walker paused.

'I need to get better,' he said.

Yeah, and Carmen Electra needs to get better looking. Let's be serious.

'I really feel like I haven't done enough. I've missed those tackles and that's like a sin,' said Walker, a 6-foot, 195-pounder from Akron, Ohio. 'My goal is to go an entire game without missing any. Because even if I have a lot of them, the ones that I miss are the ones I'll remember, and they're the ones our coaches will talk about.'

Walker gets another chance at reaching 'perfection' Saturday at noon when Syracuse (4-2, 1-0 Big East) invades Heinz Field for a showdown with the Panthers (1-3, 0-1) in a game that will be televised locally by WTAE-4.

He is coming off an effort against Notre Dame - a 24-7 loss in South Bend, Ind. - that nearly was flawless. Not only did he collect the 20 tackles, but he also went on a tear midway through the game that saw him register eight consecutive stops of Notre Dame ballcarriers.

That's right. Eight plays. Eight Ramon Walker tackles.

And here's the rub: Walker's tackles aren't of the meat-and-potatoes variety. He is a bone-jarring hitter who takes extra joy in loosening one's molars.

'I always want to make the big hit,' Walker said, flashing a slight grin. 'That's what I'm out there to do.'

He should get more than his share of opportunities against Syracuse running back James Mungro, who averages nearly 21 carries and 4.8 yards per game, and quarterback R.J. Anderson, who is not afraid to race from the pocket and take off downfield.

Walker, of course, is relishing the chance.

'If their running back makes a big play, then another big play, I feel like I can change the way things are going for him if I can get to him,' said Walker, who has a team-best 64 tackles on the season and 266 for his career, which places him 14th all-time on the Panthers' tackle list. 'If you hit somebody hard enough, you can change a game.'

There are those who contend that it does not speak well of the Pitt defense when the free safety is tackling opposing runners as frequently as Walker is. But coach Walt Harris said that is an unfair observation because Walker often plays the role of an extra linebacker, depending on the scheme.

'Some teams play a four-deep secondary, where one of their guys rotates up,' Harris said. 'Ramon is already up there. So, that's why he's going to make a lot of tackles, and that's what we expect that out of the position.'

Asked if that could have an adverse affect on Walker's ability to defend the pass, Harris answered quickly.

'No, because he's reading (the offense),' Harris said of Walker, who has one interception this season and two for his career. 'He's reading the run and the pass. He has to be in position to defend both.'

Walker has put himself in position to be considered seriously for the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back. He's also showing that he's back to health after an injury-riddled sophomore season (knee and shoulder) that kept him out of nearly five games and limited him to just 56 tackles.

He is looking more like the player who posted 131 tackles as a freshman, the best at Pitt since 1987, and became the first-ever freshman defensive back to earn first-team All-Big East honors.

'My goal this year was to stay healthy, so I could be on the field and play at the highest level,' Walker said. 'That's what I'm trying to do.'

Even if he that means missing a tackle or two along the way.

'I'm still trying for the perfect game,' said Walker, who contends that his tackle total would be higher had he not been taken off the Pitt special teams units earlier this season. 'I just haven't had that yet.'

NOTE - The Pitt athletic department encourages fans to come early for tomorrow's homecoming game due to the large volume of tickets (more than 50,000) that have been sold. The sales and will-call ticket windows open at 8 a.m. Security measures implemented for the Panthers' previous home game against Miami will remain in effect for the remainder of the season. Backpacks, coolers, large purses or similar containers are prohibited.