Herschel Walker is only 20 years old and in his junior year at the University of Georgia, but many football observers believe he is already the best running back in the history of the game. An honors student in both high school and college, he also has a fetish for clean living.

Contributing Editor Anson Mount talked with him in Athens, Georgia, on a recent Sunday afternoon. Says Mount: "I found him hitting the books in his dormitory room."

Q 1

PLAYBOY: You must have trouble buying clothes that fit.

Herschel Walker: Gee, yes, a lot of trouble, because I have a small waist, my legs are big and my shoulders are real broad. If the pants fit my legs, they have to be taken in about ten inches in the waist and they don't look so hot. Just about all my clothes have to be tailor-made, and that's expensive. I just don't have the time for a job and I feel very guilty about asking my folks for money, so I don't have many clothes. I can't go long between wash loads.

Q 2

PLAYBOY: You're into martial arts. Usually, one takes up self-defense because one gets picked on a lot. That didn't happen to you, did it?

Herschel Walker: When I was young, I was real little, and I got beaten up a lot. I was the runt in my class from first to sixth grade. But the main reason I got into martial arts was that I saw a lot of movies and TV and I wanted to be known as one of the bad guys. When I got into it, I realized it helped me in logical thinking and respect for others. And in return, it made them respect me. It's also helped me control myself.

Q 3

PLAYBOY: Very few players are as composed as you are on the field. How do you control your anger?

Herschel Walker: If a person's going to cheap-shot me, it just shows how low he is. And I don't think I'm low. I'd rather play a guy straight up. I'd rather look someone straight in the eye and hit him with a look instead of my fist.

Q 4

PLAYBOY: You have a 3.2 grade point average--an accomplishment not shared by many of your college football colleagues. Do you take a full load during the season?

Herschel Walker: I overload. A full load is 12 hours and I take about 20--but sometimes only 17. I enjoy calculus, history and philosophy--it depends on the professors. I don't take any gut courses, and I've always managed to find enough time to study--usually real late at night. I'm majoring in prelaw and I'm thinking about going to law school later.

Q 5

PLAYBOY: We hear you'd like to work for the CIA or the FBI. Why?

Herschel Walker: I love excitement, and those jobs seem exciting to me. Also, enforcing the law is something I could do to help society.