Pierre Walters ended his Eastern football career when the Panthers’ knocked off Tennessee Tech 38-20 on Nov. 22 in Cookeville, Tenn.

But Walters’ career as a football player is not complete. The Forest Park native will graduate in December and then move to New Jersey to continue training in hopes of continuing his career in the NFL.

“I’m proud of him because he’s going to graduate here in December,” Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni said. “Other guys in the past that have gone on to train haven’t got their degree. Some have and others have pushed it back.”

Bellantoni said by getting his degree, Walters could focus all of his attention on training.

Walters said he recently signed with JL Sports, who has a training facility in Martinsville, N.J. Walters said Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco is also represented by JL Sports.

“From what I heard a lot of players all over the nation go to New Jersey and train,” Walters said. “(JL Sports) contacted me way back when the season began. They let me know they were interested.”

Walters said the agents at JL Sports compared him to Kendall Langford, a rookie defensive end picked by the Miami Dolphins with the first selection of the third round in last year’s draft.

Langford played collegiately at Hampton – a Football Championship Subdivision school like Eastern.

“They have a lot of success with small school guys,” Walters said about JL Sports.

Walters said he shouldn’t have much of an adjustment moving to New Jersey because two players he knows – Tennessee State running back Javarris Williams and Western Illinois running back Herb Donaldson – are also planning on training in New Jersey.

He said Donaldson is also close to signing with JL Sports.

“There will be some guys that are familiar,” Walters said. “It won’t seem too far from home. I don’t think I’ll have a big problem with adjustment. It’s just another huge step in my life. I think I’ll be able to handle it well.”

Walters said JL Sports has already set up a training plan for him that would be a player-specific workout.

He said the areas he would primarily focus his training on would be hip flexibility, speed and power. He said his goal was to do fine tune his skills and do everything it took to help his chances.

Walters might also be in store for a position switch. He said teams have projected him not only as a defensive end but also as a defensive tackle or an outside linebacker.

“I’m also going to work on dropping back (into coverage) from the linebacker position because a lot of teams, they see me as a guy that can possibly play a little bit of outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme,” Walters said.

Walters said he has some experience as a linebacker because he played middle linebacker during his senior year of high school because his team’s starter was injured after the first game of the season that year.

“The coach needed somebody good to hold down the middle and they just threw me in there,” he said.

Bellantoni said Walters got some experience dropping back into pass coverage at Eastern as well. He said Walters dropped back into coverage from the defensive line in Eastern’s zone blitz schemes. Bellantoni said teams that scouted Walters liked that he could play standing up and in pass coverage.

Walters said he has also been projected as an athletic defensive end that can make the switch inside to play more defensive tackle like the New York Giants’ Justin Tuck who made a similar move.

“That’s one of the things I can offer, is my versatility,” Walters said. “That’s a big thing I’m going to work on. I’m probably going to work out with some of the linebackers when I’m done with my position drills to show I can do it all. I’m comfortable doing a lot.”

Bellantoni said Walters has the size, speed and strength to make it in the NFL. He said the main thing Walters has to do is distinguish himself from the other players that have similar size and skills.

“The thing he has going the best for him is his size,” Bellantoni said. “When you’re looking for an NFL defensive end, he is one. Some of the 4-3 teams are looking at him as a defensive tackle.

Athletically he’s going to be superior to most of the defensive tackles. It’s just going to be a matter of the right team finding the right fit. He’s going to have to be as big, strong and as fast as he can be.”

Bellantoni said Walters could also adapt to an NFL clubhouse and get along with players whose jobs he might be going after.

“He really grew up in his time at Eastern,” Bellantoni said. “I’ve seen him mature and become a leader when early in his career he was struggling to get himself right. I’m just real proud of the person he’s become.”

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.