Quartz Countertops in Arlington, TN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Arlington High School is buzzing with excitement after hometown hero Kenneth Walker III became the Super Bowl MVP.

“We knew he was special at an early age,” said Adam Sykes, Walker’s former head coach.

Before he was a Super Bowl star, Walker III was an Arlington High School Tiger. “Kenny” was voted “most athletic” in the school’s yearbook and nicknamed “K9” for the jersey number he selected in high school. His senior quote: “Be careful for everything, take nothing for granted.”

While Walker III is strong and powerful on the field, people who knew him told FOX13 he has always been humble and somewhat soft-spoken.

“If you see him walking in the hallway, you (would) never really know he's a star football player,” Sykes explained. “He sort of kept to himself. He did his job, did what he was supposed to do, and didn't really need much fanfare. He just loved to play football.”

Walker has worn cleats that honor Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs.

He was told he could no longer play football but came back stronger than ever his senior year.

"He didn't play football for probably four months,” Sykes explained. “I think the week before the season started, his senior year, they finally cleared him to play, and I was a little nervous, to be honest with you, because, I mean, blood clots are serious, obviously, but his parents were okay with that. Doctors were okay with it. He comes out the first two games and scores ten touchdowns!”

Across the school, teachers had fond memories of his time walking the hallways.

“(My students) are like, 'Did you know Kenny? Did you know he won MVP? Did you watch him?' I said, 'Oh, of course I did. I've been watching him since he left us! '” recalled Tijuana Person, who taught Walker III his senior year.

Person also told FOX13 she wrote his recommendation letter to attend Wake Forest University.

“If you meet him and you've been on his journey with him, then he is exactly where he was destined to be,” she said.

“He's a dog,” said Kameron “KJ” Johnson, an Arlington High junior and running back. “He's a real K9. He just don't go down sometimes. He’s fast!”

Johnson also plays football alongside Kenneth Walker IV, who is following in his older brother’s footsteps.

“It gives me hope thinking I can do the same thing as him if I work hard enough,” Johnson said.

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ARLINGTON, Tenn. (WMC) - Kenneth Walker III, a native of Arlington, Tenn., was a must-watch this Super Bowl 60, taking home the title of champion, alongside his Seattle Seahawks teammates.

Walker became the first running back to win Super Bowl MVP in 28 years.

Action News 5 caught up with Walker’s former coach, who informed us of how determined Walker was as a young athlete.

“He was in a different league by himself; you could tell he was special,” Coach Sykes shared. “They called him ‘Thunder Shoes’ or ‘Thunder Feet’, I forgot which one exactly it was, but he definitely stood out.”

Arlington High School, Walker’s old stomping ground, took to social media to share their glee at the news of his win:

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