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Belpre’s Walker Feick to play football at Marietta College

By Jay W. Bennett 3 min read

BELPRE -- Walker Feick is ready to take the next step as a student-athlete and the Belpre High School senior did just that on Wednesday when he made his commitment to play football for Marietta College head coach Andy Waddle.

Recruited as a defensive back for the Pioneers, Feick also visited Wittenburg University and Muskingum College but noted "they seemed most interested and it felt like they wanted me and it's just down the road.

"It has the same sort of feel as Belpre, not numbers-wise, but you get to know people and you'll be able to have relationships with people outside of just football."

Standing right at 6-foot, Feick has made big gains in the past two years under former Belpre head coach Mike DeVol and current head man Lance Binegar.

Following his sophomore season, Feick said he started working out more seriously and the dividends were obvious.

"I used to be like 130 pounds and now I'm 175 pounds," admitted Feick, who carries a 4.2-plus GPA and was awarded the Marietta College 1835 Founders Scholarship. "I've gained muscle and it's made me way better and more complete."

Coach Binegar believes Marietta College will be a solid fit for Feick.

"I'm very excited to see him move on to the next level," Binegar said. "He's an exceptional leader. The games we won this year we probably wouldn't have won without him.

"He picks up the game very well and he just carries himself as a football player and I really respect that in him. Marietta is very lucky to have him."

Although not 100% set on a major, the Golden Eagle said he's looking into sports management "but I want to do something with computers, maybe a minor in computer science or something like that."

Feick, who was born in Parkersburg, said he started dreaming of playing college football when he was 7 while in Texas.

"It's always been on my mind. It was never maybe. I'm going no matter what," added Feick, who moved back to the Mid-Ohio Valley prior to sixth grade.

Former Belpre standouts and ex-teammates Nick Godfrey and Bailey Sprague are on the current MC roster, which he said has been a positive.

"I was talking to Bailey Sprague and he told me it's a lot different," said the four-year starter, who is confident about being a student-athlete at the next level.

"You have to put a lot more effort into getting your work done. A goal for myself is to just get better, get stronger and improve."

The Golden Eagles finished 3-5 this year, but when asked what he is likely to remember years down the line about playing for Belpre he said "probably my sophomore year."

After picking off five passes, he was hoping to challenge for the school record, but suffered an injury on the last play of their seventh game and was done for the year.

"Not a good personal memory, but that's going to be a memory that haunts me forever," said Feick, who also added about going to college "I'm ready.

"This whole COVID thing, it makes high school feel like it's not high school. It makes you feel like you are going to a job for a few hours and then you are out."

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

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