Former Spartan RB Kenneth Walker III named Super Bowl MVP in Seattle Seahawks' victory over New England

Kenneth Walker III saved his best performance for the game's biggest stage.

In the win over New England Patriots Sunday night in Super Bowl 60, the Seattle Seahawks running back delivered a complete, authoritative showing with the whole world watching. Walker carried the ball 27 times for 135 yards, averaging five yards per attempt. He added two catches for 26 yards, consistently moving the chains and keeping the Seahawks offense on schedule.

Walker becomes the second player who previously played for Michigan State to win Super Bowl MVP honors, and he is the first MSU letterwinner to earn the Pete Rozelle Trophy (given to the Super Bowl MVP). Nick Foles, who played for the Spartans in 2007 but did not receive a letter before transferring to Arizona, was named the MVP of Super Bowl LII in 2018.

In his postgame interview at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Walker tarried on the field as confetti fell behind him, calling the Super Bowl victory a “dream come true” and crediting the Seattle brotherhood for overcoming the adversity they faced throughout the season.

Walker is the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP honors since Terrell Davis did so with the Denver Broncos in 1998.

Ball security has been a defining trait throughout Walker’s NFL career, and it remained intact on the sport’s biggest night. The four-year veteran and 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan State has yet to lose a fumble at the professional level, a streak that continued in the Super Bowl as Seattle leaned heavily on him to control the game.

This postseason has cemented Walker as the centerpiece of the Seahawks offense. He has been the engine behind both the ground attack and the play-action passing game, easing pressure on Sam Darnold and forcing defenses to respect every look.

According to Pro Football Focus, Walker entered the Super Bowl with 256 total yards and four touchdowns on 45 postseason touches, producing eight explosive plays across the divisional and conference rounds.

Opportunity expanded late in the season, and Walker met it head-on. After Zach Charbonnet suffered a late-year injury, Walker took on a true workhorse role, generating more than 100 scrimmage yards in four consecutive games, including all three playoff contests. He became the first Seahawks player since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to record back-to-back postseason games with 100-plus scrimmage yards - and that was before his Super Bowl performance.

Walker had a strong regular season as well. Playing all 17 games for the first time, Walker finished with 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 221 carries, matching his career-high average of 4.6 yards per attempt. He added 31 receptions for 282 yards, reinforcing his value as a three-down back.

Entering the season, questions lingered about Walker’s long-term future in Seattle, with free agency looming in 2026. Walker said he never viewed the year as something to prove.

Early during Super Bowl week, head coach Mike Macdonald made it clear the organization values Walker highly and wants him to return after his rookie contract runs out.

“Of course, we want Ken back,” Macdonald said. “He’s a phenomenal player, a great person, and a great teammate. Those are the people we want in our building.”

Walker echoed that sentiment, noting his comfort with the city and the franchise after four seasons.

“If it was my choice,” he said, “I’d definitely stay.”

Still, with the 25-year-old running back in the final year of his rookie contract and production surging on the league’s biggest stage, attention around his future has intensified. Walker figures to be in line for a significant pay bump whenever that decision comes.