Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker III shares video of how he nearly had to quit football
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- Chiefs’ Kenneth Walker III nearly quit football after a serious childhood health scare.
- Walker had blood clots in both lungs during his Tennessee high school junior year.
- He stayed in the hospital for about four nights and said not to take life for granted.
If all you know about Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III is from Super Bowl LX when he was the MVP, you may be surprised to learn he nearly had to give up football as a kid.
During his junior year at high school in Tennessee, Walker one day felt pain in his chest and had trouble breathing, as he told the Seahawks website. Fortunately, he sought medical help.
“In high school I had blood clots in both my lungs, so I had to stay in the hospital I believe four nights,” Walker said in that Seattle story. “And as I was in the hospital it was a moment where I was like, don’t take anything for granted because it all can get thrown away at any time.”
The National Blood Clot Alliance said Walker had a pulmonary embolism and doctors told him a hit in the wrong spot on his body could have been fatal.
Walker on Monday shared a video on social media about that medical scare and simply wrote: “Keep Persevering.” It details Walker’s story and his motivation with the Chiefs.
This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 11:49 AM.
