.jpg) Wallace with theBuffalo Bills in 2021 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | (1995-06-12)June 12, 1995 (age 29) Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Tucson | ||||||||||
| College: | Alabama (2014–2017) | ||||||||||
| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2018 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Levi Wallace (born June 12, 1995) is an American professionalfootballcornerback. He playedcollege football atAlabama, and signed with theBuffalo Bills as anundrafted free agent in 2018. He has also played for thePittsburgh Steelers andDenver Broncos.
Wallace attendedTucson High School inTucson, Arizona, where he played football andtrack and field.[1] He received very little recruiting interest due to his slender frame, athletic limitations, and underwhelming statistical production as a wide receiver, cornerback, and kick returner. After receiving no scholarship offers, Wallace decided to attend theUniversity of Alabama, as his father grew up inTuscaloosa and was a fan of their football team. Wanting to stay involved in athletics, he played intramural flag football during his first semester in fall of 2013. He considered leaving the university after his first semester, as his father was suffering fromALS and in increasingly poor health. However, his father convinced him to try out for a spot on theCrimson Tide football team as a walk-on. Wallace agreed, and after a successful tryout in January 2014, he was granted a spot as a walk-on defensive back.[2]
Wallace spent his first two seasons at Alabama on the scout team. He eventually earned a scholarship in Alabama’s fall camp in 2016. He played in 11 games, primarily on special teams and as a backup cornerback, recording 11 tackles and two pass breakups[3][4]
During his senior year in 2017, following the departure ofMarlon Humphrey to theNFL, Wallace started 14 games at cornerback. He was a starter during the2018 College Football Playoff National Championship game, where Alabama won in overtime overGeorgia, 26–23.[5] Wallace totaled 48 tackles, two sacks, 18 pass breakups, and threeinterceptions (one returned for a touchdown) in his senior year.[6][7]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) | 179 lb (81 kg) | 32+3⁄4 in (0.83 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.63 s | 1.56 s | 2.57 s | 4.26 s | 6.91 s | 33 in (0.84 m) | |||
| All values fromNFL Combine/Alabama’s Pro Day[8][9] | ||||||||||||
On May 1, 2018, theBuffalo Bills signed Wallace to a three-year, $1.71 millioncontract as anundrafted free agent.[10] Throughouttraining camp, Wallace competed for a roster spot as a backupcornerback againstTaron Johnson,Ryan Carter,Breon Borders, andLafayette Pitts.[11] On September 1, 2018, the Bills waived Wallace as part of their final roster cuts, but signed him to theirpractice squad the following day.[12]
On November 6, 2018, the Bills promoted Wallace from their practice squad to the active roster after releasingPhillip Gaines.[13] On November 11, 2018, Wallace made his professional regular season debut and first career start and made one tackle and a pass deflection during a 41–10 victory at theNew York Jets in Week 10.[14] In Week 16, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles during a 24–12 loss at theNew England Patriots.[15] He finished his rookie season in 2018 with 37 combined tackles (24 solo) and three pass deflections in seven games and seven starts.[16]
Wallace was named a starting cornerback to begin the season, oppositeTre'Davious White.[17] Following an inconsistent start to the season, Wallace eventually saw his playing time reduced in favor ofKevin Johnson.[18] In week 15, Wallace caught his first career interception against thePittsburgh Steelers onSunday Night Football, picking offDevlin Hodges to seal a 17–10 Bills victory in the final moments to help Buffalo clinch a playoff berth.[19] In the regular season finale against the Jets, Wallace logged another interception offSam Darnold, but suffered a sprained ankle on the play,[20] which kept him out of the Bills' playoff game against theHouston Texans.[21] In the 2019 season, he started in all 16 games. He finished with 76 total tackles (66 solo), two interceptions, and nine passes defended.[22]
On April 2, 2020, Wallace was re-signed to a one-year contract by the Bills, regaining his starting position despite the team signing veteran cornerbackJosh Norman. In Week 3 against theLos Angeles Rams, Wallace recorded his first interception of the season during the 35–32 win.[23] Wallace injured his ankle the following week against theLas Vegas Raiders and was ruled out the rest of the game.[24] He was placed on injured reserve on October 7, 2020.[25] He was activated on October 31.[26] He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on November 14, 2020,[27] and activated on November 19.[28] In Week 14 against the Steelers onSunday Night Football, Wallace intercepted a pass thrown byBen Roethlisberger late in the fourth quarter to secure a 26–15 win for the Bills.[29] In the 2020 season, Wallace appeared in 12 games, all starts. He finished with 48 total tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended.[30]
In theDivisional Round of the playoffs against theBaltimore Ravens, Wallace recorded one sack onLamar Jackson during the 17–3 win.[31]
Wallace re-signed with the Bills on a one-year contract on March 26, 2021.[32][33] He became the top cornerback on the roster after White suffered a torn ACL in week 12 and missed the rest of the season, but Buffalo still finished the year with the league's top passing defense despite White's injury. Wallace, in particular, allowed just a 72.6 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks.[34] In the 2021 season, Wallace started all 17 regular season games and both of the Bills' postseason games. He finished with 58 total tackles, two interceptions, and ten passes defended.[35]
On March 17, 2022, the Steelers signed Wallace to a two-year, $8 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $2.96 million.[36][37] In the 2022 season, he appeared in 15 games and started nine. He finished with 48 total tackles, a career-high four interceptions, and 13 passes defended.[38]
On April 22, 2024, theDenver Broncos signed Wallace to a one-year contract.[39] While filling in for an injuredRiley Moss in Week 13 against theCleveland Browns, Wallace struggled against former Broncos receiverJerry Jeudy who recorded nine catches for 235 yards and a touchdown, the majority of which occurred with Wallace in coverage. This led to Wallace being benched in favor of rookieKris Abrams-Draine in the 4th quarter.[40][41]
On December 24, Wallace was waived by the Broncos.[42]