In a game dominated by defense, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III was the Super Bowl's most consistent offensive performer.
Walker was named Super Bowl LX MVP in the Seahawks' 29-13 win over the Patriots on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries and catching two passes for 26 yards to total 161 scrimmage yards.
He's the first running back to win the award since Terrell Davis for the Broncos in the Super Bowl XXXII upset over the Packers on Jan. 25, 1998.
Walker's 135 rushing yards were the most in a Super Bowl since Davis' 157 in that game nearly 30 years ago.
The timing couldn't have been better for the 25-year-old Walker, who is set to hit free agency this spring. The fourth-year back really stepped up for the Seahawks in the playoffs, rushing for four touchdowns in the two games prior to the Super Bowl and taking on a heavier workload after running mate Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL in the Divisional Round win over the 49ers and missed the remainder of the postseason.
But the unassuming Walker only took so much personal glory in the MVP, more pleased with his first Super Bowl victory and the franchise's second, crowning a new generation of Seahawks greatness.
"Honestly, I feel like I'm just a team player," Walker said. "I'm not really focused on my personal gains. I just want to make the best impact on my team in the best way possible."
Walker started cooking on the Seahawks' fourth drive of the Super Bowl, with runs of 29 and 30 yards in a three-play span. The Seahawks settled for a field goal and a 6-0 lead on that series, and Seattle took a 9-0 edge into halftime, with Walker having more than half the offense's yards (100 of 183).
"(That) was when I started to feel it. You start to break big runs," Walker said. "At first – Mike (Macdonald) always talks about it's a softening process – and then the bigger runs started to come, and that's when I really started to feel it."
After halftime, Walker ripped off a 20-yard catch and run to set up the Seahawks' fourth field goal of the game. Then in the fourth quarter, Walker ripped off runs of 14 and 10 yards and helped the Seahawks take a 22-7 lead the Patriots couldn't come back from.
Walker didn't score a touchdown -- at least not officially, anyway. He shredded the Patriots for what appeared to be a 49-yard TD cherry on top, but it was called back by a hold on center Jalen Sundell. But by that point, the game was academic.
"The O-line had the hole wide open," Walker said. "I just really had to beat the safety and whoever was on my left. Scored, looked back, there's a flag, and that's probably the worst feeling ever. But, you know, we won the game, so I'm not going to complain."
The Patriots bottled up Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who left the game in the second half while being evaluated for a concussion, and held Sam Darnold to 5.0 yards per pass attempt.
Walker accounted for 48% of the Seahawks' offensive yards, using his patience, contact balance and burst to punish New England.
"We worked at it all week," Walker said. "This week, last week. We worked on the run game and knew that was gonna make an impact on this game."
What made Walker's night all the more impressive is that it was the most rushing yards allowed by a very good Patriots defense this season, including playoffs. He also totaled 111 yards or more in four straight games to close the season, including the Week 18 top-seed clincher against the 49ers.
Walker's 135 yards were the second-most he's ever had in a game, regular season or playoffs. His 29 touches in a game were also the second-most in his career, one behind a 30-carry effort in an overtime win over the Rams in 2023.
Macdonald said the Seahawks received "one of the best versions of Ken up to this point" in the Super Bowl, also making sure to praise his offensive line, tight ends and his team's commitment to the run game when it was called.
To Darnold, though, this has been the same Walker he's seen all along, having trust in his blockers and the scheme providing him chances to thrive.
"To be honest, no. I feel like he's been running like that the entire season," Darnold said, adding that "Ken did his job pretty unbelievably tonight."
After the game, Walker appeared to understand the history of the moment, though he still was sure to make it about the team.
"If I would tell myself as a kid right now, I wouldn't have guessed that I would be the one to win the MVP," he said. "So, this is a surreal moment, and it doesn't happen without the guys in the locker room."
