Sophomore linebacker Quay Walker’s Georgia career started with a toss of a hat. His commitment will be remembered for years to come, but according to him, he wishes it wouldn’t be.

“I hate that. To be honest, I hate talking about it, but I know it’s going to be something that’s going to be brought up for the rest of my life, just about,” Walker said. “Looking back on it, I think it was very immature of me for doing that. At the same time, I was just a kid from a small town who was just happy to be where I was.”

Head coach Kirby Smart reiterated Walker’s thoughts, saying he and the Cordele native had talked it through previously.

"Yeah, I think he regretted it,” Smart said. “He regretted it after the fact. It wasn't a proud moment for him. It was a moment where he probably succumbed to all the hoopla and just got caught up in the moment. He and I talked about it. He understands it, and it's something he can learn from.”

After Walker traded in a Tennessee hat for a Georgia helmet, he had to transition from outside linebacker to inside.

“I think that was the most difficult thing coming in. In high school, playing on the line of scrimmage and coming into college, just seeing things different and knowing what to do was a difficult task, but I think I’m picking up on everything,” Walker said.

Walker’s move to the middle of the field has progressed smoothly according to Smart, but the athletic sophomore hasn’t reached his full potential.

“Quay has come a long way, but Quay has got a long way to go,” Smart said. “The sky’s the limit for him, because he’s athletic and big, and he’s come so far, but he has to decide that he wants to be great, and work hard every day to put himself in a special category.”

Against Vanderbilt, Walker tallied the second-highest number of snaps out of Georgia’s linebackers with 31, second only to Monty Rice’s 40. When asked what the increased role meant to him, Walker said he was grateful.

“It felt so good being able to play for the University of Georgia and get out there to do what I was recruited to do,” Walker said. “Coming in, it was frustrating for me, because I had to play a role that I wasn’t really used to. It felt really good to be out there with my brothers.”