Mission’s Jesse Walker found out that good things come to those who wait.
This time last year, Walker was working his way towards hopefully being selected in the 2019 CFL Draft.
The former Mission Secondary football star had just finished up four strong years with the Manitoba Bisons and received an invite to the CFL’s Western Regional Combine - where he put up some impressive numbers.
RELATED: Mission’s Walker running for the pros
However, that didn’t appear to be enough at that time to attract the attention of any club in the CFL, as he was not chosen in last May’s draft.
Walker was then invited to the B.C. Lions training camp and performed well there, but was ultimately the final player cut.
That disappointment didn’t stop him though, as he joined the Langley Rams of the British Columbia Football Conference and helped that team go a perfect 10-0 in the regular season last year. Walker collected 383 yards receiving and one touchdown in eight games played.
Walker and the Rams then beat the Okanagan Sun 45-15 in the BCFC semifinal back on Oct. 26 and they advanced to the BCFC final where they defeated the Westshore Rebels 35-12 on Nov. 2. That win earned the team the Cullen Cup.
The Rams luck ran out in the CJFL’s Canadian Bowl on Nov. 16, as the club fell 11-6 to the Saskatoon Hilltops.
The news turned positive for Walker last Friday, as it was announced that he has officially been signed by the B.C. Lions.
#BCLions add three more to roster 🏈
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) January 24, 2020
We have signed @LangleyRams WR Jesse Walker and added Americans Chauncey Briggs and A,J. Westbrook.
MORE INFO 💻 | https://t.co/6ZEtCi4MCC pic.twitter.com/Fm4GRNvH0v
“This game has been my love and I will never give up,” he told the Mission Record last March. “I’ve put so much into it and I want to see if I can make a positive difference for one of these pro teams.”
Rams head coach Howie Zaron spoke highly of Walker’s 2019 efforts in a post on Facebook just days before the signing was made official.
“This young man Jesse Walker was the last cut of the B.C. Lions last year and we were fortunate enough to have him come and play for Langley Rams in 2019,” he stated. “This young man could have came in with a I shouldn’t be here I should be playing pro attitude, instead he came to practice every night and worked his ass off to get better and prepare himself for the next pro call.Thank you Jesse for being a great teammate and a mentor to the rest of the Langley Rams players and congratulations on signing with the B.C. Lions.”
Walker simply stated on his personal Facebook page that he is glad to be home and blessed have the opportunity to suit up in the orange and black.
The Lions return to Kamloops for training camp later this year, and open the regular season in Edmonton on June 11. The Lions home opener occurs on June 27 when Edmonton comes to B.C. Place.