Issue date: 1/30/09 Section: Sports

Pierre Walters, playing in a game against Tennessee Martin last season, is taking advantage of the opportunity to play this Saturday at the Texas vs. The Nation Collegiate All-Star Game at the Sun Bowl in Texas. He is taking the roster spot of another defensive lineman. (Eric Hiltner / The Daily Eastern News)

Pierre Walters said he is lucky this week.

The former Eastern defensive end said a player above him got injured, and now he'll be in the spotlight.

Walters was selected to participate in Saturday's Texas vs. The Nation Collegiate All-Star Game at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

"I was pretty high up on the waiting list," Walters said.

Walters said that when a defensive end was injured while training, the final roster spot was between him and two other guys.

And Walters ended up on the Nation team.

"I was next on the line," Walters said. "It's a huge blessing. This is the type of exposure I needed. It's just amazing."

Walters has been training in New Jersey to continue his NFL career, but this week he has been in Houston and fairly busy.

He is the first Panther to play in an All-Star game since Jon Rueter played in Magnolia All-Star Gridiron Classic in Deccember 2006. Walters left at 3:15 a.m. from New York the other day and arrived in Texas and went to sleep a little after 11 p.m.

This week has been all interviews, training, doing community service activities and taking with his agent at JL Sports.

"They're keeping us busy," Walters said. "It's just one huge job interview."

He's been in contact with representatives from the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, some of which he has been in contact with when they came to junior Pro Day.

He networked with different teams since he was down there on Monday.

"It feels great, but right now they can't wait to see me practice and play," Walters said.

Walters will also be visiting an army and a children's hospital this week.

"It's well worth it," Walters said. "I can sleep for years to come. This year I won't be doing much of it."

Walters is excited about the game, and he is only one of two Ohio Valley Conference players in the game. The other is Tennessee State's offensive guard Cornelius Lewis, who a Florida State-transfer and a member of the Texas team.

Walters expects to get in about two to three series during the game, and he just wants to stay healthy.

"The only thing I can do is make progress, and make myself look better," Walters said.

He said since he left Eastern in December, that he's become stronger and more flexible.

He is eating well, has trimmed a lot of fat off and is close to 100 percent, he said.

Walters ranks third all-time at Eastern in tackles for losses.

Walters plans to come back to Illinois in March and train at Illinois' Pro Day.

He finished the 2008 season with 48 tackles (18 solo, 30 assisted) while leading the team with 16.5 tackles for loss.

He also added 4.5 sacks, five quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a blocked field goal.

"I've been throwing some linebacker drills," Walters said. "I've been working on my drops. I've been working on my hips. Everything's going well."


Kevin Murphy can be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.

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