Unless it’s of the bad variety, Kody Walker simply has no luck at all when it comes to injuries.
Case in point? Wednesday, Arkansas confirmed in a press release that the running back sustained a broken right foot during a Tuesday practice session. Walker underwent surgery on the foot earlier in the day today to repair the damage, and the doctors expect him to make a full recovery.
Arguably the best news is that Walker should be 100-percent healthy for the start of summer camp in a few months.
“It’s a pretty standard foot injury that we’ve dealt with in the past and we expect him to be full-go by June,” head coach Bret Bielema said in a statement, adding, “If anyone knows how to battle adversity it’s Kody Walker.”
That might be a bit of an understatement by Bielema.
In 2011, Walker played in the first three games before the combination of an ankle issue and a stress fracture in his shin knocked him out for the balance of that season. He played in the first two games of the following season before a broken leg sidelined him for the remainder of the year. In July of last year, he was granted a sixth season of eligibility because of those issues, and it was confirmed in January that he would utilize that additional season in 2016.
In 2015, Walker ran for 394 yards, second on the team behind Alex Collins’ 1,577. His six touchdowns were second to Collins’ 20.
Provided he gets and stays healthy, Walker is viewed as the likely replacement for Collins as the bellcow of the Razorbacks’ running game.