Watch out for Walton: ‘Bama’ brings the boom

They call him “Bama.” It’s a nod to his hometown of Daphne, Ala., that slice of the Yellowhammer State jutting into the Gulf, as close to Mississippi as it is to Florida.

It’s misheard as “Bammer.”

It’s a nod to the speckled ribs, cracked knees and indented stomachs that junior Jonathan Walton has deposited across South Carolina’s schedule.

“If I knew,” safety Chris Moody said, shaking his head, “I would steal his secret.”

Opponents can’t see Walton’s eyes because of his preferred facemask visor, so they see the crown of his white helmet, bisected by garnet and black stripes. Or his teeth, bared after Walton couldn’t wait to spit his mouthpiece and let ’em know they were rung up by the biggest, baddest, bulldozin’est linebacker in the league.

“He has so much fun on the field,” said close pal and fellow linebacker Larenz Bryant. “That smile never goes away.”

Walton was on the field as a freshman, but statisticians had to hunt for him – he had eight tackles and a hurry in 13 games. As a sophomore, forced to be everywhere as the Gamecocks’ defensive line couldn’t hold and the secondary couldn’t cover, Walton raised his game to 61 tackles, 2.5 for loss, a hurry, two breakups and an interception.

It was the bowl game where they noticed, although Skai Moore won defensive MVP. Walton had four tackles, 1.5 for loss, and picked off Brad Kaaya. That capped five starts in the final seven games and led to a Most Improved Linebacker award in spring practice.

It only made Walton hungrier. Hey, Penn State (who he originally committed to) doesn’t recruit just anybody. Auburn and Tennessee noticed, too. The Gamecocks won.

Time for Walton to win. Big.

“That’s why I’m out here,” Walton said.

Teammates still talk about that hit he laid in practice, where some unsuspecting sucker met a truckload of muscle, brain later sparking a faint memory of molars.

“He came and just took somebody’s head off,” Bryant said. “It was one of those, it was just, ‘Oooooh.’”

Then there was Vanderbilt, where Ralph Webb was greeted by Walton shortly after the handoff, picked up by the knees and finished with a body slam Big John Studd could have tutored.

“He’s a guy that’s got one speed – full. He’s always coming downhill,” USC tailback Brandon Wilds said. “Bama can really play any position with regards to hitting … he could be a fullback.”

The Gamecocks’ defense, which suffered in 2014, needs Walton to be all of that and more. Whether it’s the offense needing a crutch while breaking in a new quarterback or the defense checking its pride, USC has to be better.

No problem.

“We’ve got communication, we have players that want it, we have players with big hearts,” Walton said. “I feel like it’s just a different team this year.”

Co-defensive coordinator Jon Hoke is leaning on his linebackers – with a 4-3 look, Moore, Walton and Bryant are expected to start – but hasn’t labeled a leader. This is not the time for that.

“They’re the communicators, because of the position they play,” he said. “They, obviously, are the guys that have to instigate it.”

Walton plans to instigate plenty.

“North Carolina, we’re hoping to shut them out,” he said. “We’re hoping, and we’re working to. We want to be that defense that was able to do it.”