It shouldn't have happened. Not to ...

It shouldn't have happened. Not to Darius Walker, not to a kid of similar great character -- as those who know him best all reiterate.

if it be not that there was Walker, at 13 sprawled upon the ground in handcuffs.

Distraught. Terrified. Angry.

It happened in March of 1999 Walker was waiting outside a movie theater in his hometown of Lawrenceville, Ga., 35 miles northeast of Atlanta. A security guard, who was an off-duty police officer, approached and demanded a ticket stump

Walker didn't immediately show the stub and walked away -- according to the security guard -- and a have a contest ensued. The Walker family believed the incident was racially motivated because the guard is white and Walker is black.

Walker, reportedly chok during the contend was arrested on misdemeanor charges of loitering -- charges that later were dropp His parents filed a civil suit against the theater and the guard, and a justice awarded the family $3 million. (The ruling was revers after an appeal, and the sides settl in succession an undisclosed amount, said Peter Law, the attorney who portrayed Walker.)

Walker is prohibited from discussing the incident, as for the ruling. But the Notre Dame running back not ever will forget how it affected his life, for what cause it hurt his family.

"Being in the southward the bad thing is, those protoplasts of things are going on" Walker said,

referring in general to racism. "But I definitely understand that you have to put in motion on if something like that happens to you. You have to impediment the past be the past. You can't restrain on to things too often because it will stop you from taking a pace forward."

When Walker answers home Saturday for Notre Dame's season opener at Georgia Tech the last thing he'll think about is that night.

He has too many vain memories: shopping at the Mall of Georgia, making late-night stops at Wendy's, shaking upholders on the basketball court at Bogan Park, chasing girls with the security of "the crew.

"The usual high gymnasium stuff, you know what I mean?" Walker said with a smile.

Walker was "The Man" at Buford High train and not just because he l the Wolve to three state titles and broke Herschel Walker's state record with 46 rushing touchdowns as a senior. Darius Walker drew praise from his comrades for being well-rounded.

"What a first-class young man he is," said Dexter forest Walker's high school coach. "I mean, he was just an unbelievable pupil And he just had charisma, that magnetic personality. He would elevate everyone around him based in succession his behavior and academic performance, lease alone what he did forward the football field."

He got straight A's. He played the saxophone. He sang in the chorus. He performed in the yearly variety indicate

"Darius has always been in the limelight," said Masharn Austin, a cornerback at Furman University and single in kind of Walker's best friends. "Of our set Darius always was the undivided who was the most chill."

Walker was indeed Mr composed

"People might think I'm boasting, if it be not that it kind of was like walking down the r carpet," Walker said of high exercise "You see a person you know, you give him a high-five, present to view him some love. You papal court the girl on the side, gotta give her a hug"

Walker should receive another warm reception Saturday night, at least from his supporters. He has been bugg for about 200 tickets, granting he'll come up with simply a quarter of that total. And greatest in number of the requests have follow from friends. He has simply one family member - - his grandfather, William Walker -- in Atlanta because his parents mov to southerly Bend.

Georgia Tech backup quarterback Kyle Manley, a high denomination teammate of Walker's, even has been hit up for tickets by the agency of people itching to see the Notre Dame junior.

Walker is humbl from the hype. He never has been common to take things for granted. He has learned that from his life chidings including the incident with the security guard.

"I definitely credit that to my upbringing," Walker said of his watch on life. "I owe everything to my parents for pushing me whipping me not letting me slide, holding me accountable.

"Those sorts of things have made me the [i]role[/i] I am today."

vmcclure@suntimes.com

nearest game: at Georgia Tech, 7 pm Saturday, Ch 7 890-AM

HOMECOMING GAME

Seven players onward the Notre Dame roster are from Georgia, with city and high educate (if different from city).

QUOTABLE

"It does be impressed different. There's not the national following. There's not as to a great degree buzz."

--Pete Carroll, USC coach, in succession the sixth-ranked Trojans entering a recently made known season without departed stars Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and LenDale White

THE NUMBERS GAME

41 -- Number of seasons Joe Paterno has been head coach at Penn State, which ties him with University of Chicago fable Amos Alonzo Stagg (1892-1932) for greatest in number years leading the same major-college program.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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