In the hours between the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff loss in Buffalo and when Levi Wallace went to bed on January 15, Wallace had already turned his attention away from football.
“Now that it’s over,” Wallace said on Jan. 16, “I was already sending out messages yesterday and preparing for my foundation’s golf tournament.
“You obviously want to keep playing and make it to the Super Bowl, but unfortunately, that is not our reality. So I focus on where I can help in the community and how I can be present with my family.”
Wallace planned to return to Tucson, Arizona, where he grew up and still resides. There are also the headquarters for The Levi Wallace Foundation, which was founded three years ago and is led by Wallace’s mother. A board of directors can run the organization while Wallace is away in the Northeast playing NFL cornerback.
“We give away scholarships, but we also pour into the community,” Wallace said, beaming at the chance to discuss his philanthropic endeavor instead of the Steelers’ season finale. “Just try to help kids go to college who are less fortunate than most people, especially those from Tucson, where the average income is low. We try to provide as many opportunities as possible for kids to attend college and gain experience.
The foundation and its Levi Wallace Golf For Good fundraiser will divert Wallace’s attention away from football until it is held March 2 in Phoenix.
Wallace will become an unrestricted free agent for the second time in his career nine days later, unless he and the Steelers reach an agreement on a contract extension before then. Wallace, who stands 6 feet and weighs 179 pounds, recently signed a two-year contract worth $8 million.
He takes the impending free agency in stride.
“It’s just the business, you know what I mean?” Wallace said. “You sign a contract, the contract ends, free agency comes up.”
Wallace’s position room has changed significantly since his signing with Pittsburgh. Cameron Sutton and Ahkello Witherspoon are no longer starters, and Patrick Peterson and Joey Porter Jr. will take over in 2023. Wallace was demoted from every-down starter at outside cornerback to subpackage defender by December, as Porter rose through the ranks this season.
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