Pro Deacs: Super Bowl and Season Recap

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Pro Deacs made its return for one final time this NFL season as running back Kenneth Walker III delivered a Super Bowl MVP performance to help lead the Seattle Seahawks to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

Kenneth Walker Named Super Bowl MVP
Running back Kenneth Walker III became the first former Demon Deacon to be named Super Bowl MVP on Sunday night as he and the Seattle Seahawks took home a Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots, 29-13. Walker earned MVP honors after leading the Seattle offense with 161 all-purpose yards against New England. The fifth-year pro did most of his damage on the ground, having rushed 27 times for 135 yards. Walker also hauled in two catches for 26 yards.

Super Bowl Champion and MVP @Kenneth_Walker9 🏆 pic.twitter.com/48toVFi4r9
— Wake Forest Football (@WakeFB) February 9, 2026

The MVP performance added on to an incredible postseason for Walker, who ended his postseason run with 313 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, as well as nine catches for 104 yards. During the regular season, Walker reached the 1,000 rushing yards mark for the second time in his career as he totaled 1,027 yards and five rushing touchdowns to go along with 31 catches for 282 yards.

Pro Deacs Super Bowl Results

Kenneth Walker III (SEA)
- Seattle Seahawks 29 defeated New England Patriots 13

2025 Pro Deacs Recap

Pro Deacs continued to play pivotal roles for their respective teams during the 2025 NFL season as six former Deacs earned postseason berths this year, including linebacker Justin Strnad of the Denver Broncos, defensive lineman Kobie Turner of the Los Angeles Rams and safety Malik Mustapha.
- After a career-best season in 2024, Strnad continued to build himself into a key member of the Bronco defense. Strnad finished the season with 58 tackles, including a career-best 4.5 sacks, during the regular season to help Denver secure the first-overall seed in the AFC. Strnad also added his first career interception against the New York Giants.
- Turner was named a team captain for the second-straight year for the Rams heading into his third season in the NFL. Turner ended the regular season with 48 tackles, seven sacks, three pass defenses, an interception and a fumble recovery en route to helping the Rams earn a spot in the NFC Championship game.
- Coming off an incredible rookie campaign, Mustapha added another solid season in just his second year in the league for the 49ers. Mustapha helped lead the 49ers to a wild card spot in the playoffs as he ended his sophomore season with a career-high 76 tackles, including a career-best 44 solo efforts, as well as three pass defenses and an interception. During the playoffs, Mustapha logged 11 tackles, including a sack in the divisional round against the eventual Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks. Mustapha also helped the 49ers pull off the upset over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card round.
Several other Pro Deacs continued to solidify themselves as some of the best players in the NFL at their given position, including safety Jessie Bates III of the Atlanta Falcons.
- Bates finished the season with 98 tackles, which ranked second on the team. Bates also added three interceptions, including a pick-six against the Los Angeles Rams. The eight-year pro has now logged 27 interceptions and four pick-sixes in his career. Additionally, Bates became just the fourth Falcon all-time to have three interception returns for touchdowns with the team and is now the only player in the NFL to have recorded a pick-six in each of the last three seasons.

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