Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has won the Super Bowl LX MVP award after amassing 161 total yards (135 rushing yards, 26 receiving yards) en route to a 29-13 victory.
Walker is the first running back to win a Super Bowl MVP award since Terrell Davis did so for the 1997 Denver Broncos.
Walker got going early with rushes of 30 and 29 yards on the Seahawks’ first drive of the second quarter. Seattle’s drive ended with Jason Myers kicking a 39-yard field goal for a 6-0 lead.
Walker later caught a 20-yard pass in the third quarter on a drive that ended with Myers’ 41-yard field goal for a 12-0 edge.
The Seahawks withstood a late Patriot charge after Julian Love picked off a pass from Pats quarterback Drake Maye and returned it to the New England 38-yard line with 8:37 left in regulation and Seattle up 19-7.
Walker began that drive with rushes of 14 and 10 yards, and Myers later hit his fifth field goal (this time from 5:35 left) for a 22-7 lead.
The former Michigan State star ended the evening with 29 total touches. He rushed for 5.0 yards per carry (27 rushes for 135 yards).
The Seahawks’ dominant defense ultimately propelled Seattle to its second Super Bowl title. They shut New England out until Mack Hollins caught a 35-yard touchdown pass with 12:27 left in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks also sacked quarterback Drake Maye six times and forced three turnovers.
The biggest one was cornerback Devin Witherspoon’s hit on Maye, recovered in the air by linebacker Uchenna Nwosu for an interception returned for a 45-yard touchdown. The PAT made it 29-7.
The special teams also got it done, as Jason Myers kicked five field goals of 33, 39, 41, 41 and 26 yards.
Walker ultimately won the MVP, cementing an unbelievable playoff run that saw him amass 145 total yards and three touchdowns in the Divisional Round, 111 yards and one touchdown in the NFC Championship Game and now 161 yards in the Super Bowl. All told, he gained 417 yards alongside four touchdowns in three playoff games.
(Walker also finished the regular season with 133 total yards in a 13-3 win over the San Francisco 49ers.)
President Barack Obama, ex-NFL star running back Le’Veon Bell (a fellow former MSU Spartan), fans and analysts reacted to Walker’s performance.
Walker also enjoyed a stellar regular season for the 14-3 Seahawks, gaining 1,027 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground in addition to 282 receiving yards.
