It doesn't take long to build a reputation in the NFL – whether it's fair or not. 

For a lot of people, Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker has adopted the reputation of a hothead after he was kicked out of two games last year. The first incident came in October when he shoved a player on the Buffalo Bills practice squad and then, he shoved a member of the Detroit Lions training staff during the season finale. 

Both incidents weren't pretty and they were considered egregious considering the recipients weren't even in pads. So, it's logical for those outside of Green Bay to label Walker as a guy with a temper that can get the best of him.

Fortunately, Walker has the self-awareness to not only realize and accept his mistakes, but he already knows teams are going to try and poke the bear in hopes of drawing a flag or another ejection at some point during the game.

"To be honest with you, this entire offseason I thought about the two ejections," Walker told reporters Saturday. "It was hard giving myself grace on that, but at the same time, I've moved past it. The past is the past, and I'm just ready to move forward and just learn from it. Of course I can say that, but I have to do it by my actions…

"… I know most teams will label me a hothead, so I kind of am already preparing for what's going to happen and things like that. So I've just got to be ready for everything that's going to come. I know it's going to come Week 1, with it being a rivalry game [vs. Chicago]. Every week, teams will try to go at me, so I'm already preparing for it."

Walker's preparation consists of self-reflection and receiving some outside help in the form of the Packers' director of performance psychology/behavioral health clinician, Dr. Chris Carr. This is Carr's fourth season in the aforementioned role and per the team's website, he "is responsible for performance psychology and mental-health services for the players, staff and organization".

"I just talked to myself, meditating as well, talking to Dr. Carr, just being more open, just going from there," said Walker. "I was a person that was real, real closed in, with all my thoughts and everything like that, with the stuff I had going on. But that ain't really got anything to do with what took place. But those were the things I did over the offseason to prepare me to not make those same mistakes over again."

And of course, he's getting help from his teammates, too.

"I was talking to [cornerback Jaire] Alexander this morning about me being more open and everything like that," said Walker. "I told him I wanted to go back to being quiet, but I think it's just best for me to be open, because it's just better overall, for me."

Obviously, this is all talk, right now. As Walker mentioned, it's going to be more about his actions than his words. But at the same time, it's easy to like his approach to fixing his temper and the accountability he is showing. 

And really, it's not the hardest thing in the world to ignore the noise on the field. It just takes some practice and a few deep breaths. 

And it sounds like Walker is on his way there.

"I'm just trying to get back to the huddle and just get to the next play," said Walker. "I ain't even going to say anything to them – I'm just going to get back to the next play and go from there."

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