For many players across the NFL landscape who are currently in OTAs, they are using the time to go through the motions, get back into a football mindset, and above all else: come out of the offseason healthy while gearing up for a big season ahead.
New Pittsburgh Steelers’ cornerback Levi Wallace is taking a slightly different approach overall though, especially while adjusting to a new team. With his signing in free agency to a two-year $8 million deal, all eyes are on Wallace, who is expected to replace the role of former starting cornerback Joe Haden, who was a vocal leader, was great at communicating and really brought some physicality downhill against the run.
Though Wallace is more of a quiet type on the field, he will certainly bring the physicality overall. Appearing on Steelers Nation Radio Wednesday morning with hosts Arthur Moats and Wes Uhler, Wallace stated he’s not focused on being the perceived piece that will solidify the secondary. Instead, he’s working on reading his keys in the Steelers’ defense and learning the defense front to back overall.
“I don’t even think about it, honestly. I I’m still out here just trying to learn the playbook and getting to know some of my teammates, learn signals, learn the calls and just build camaraderie,” Wallace said, according to audio via the Steelers Blitz podcast. “I’ll worry about the football stuff when it comes in September. But you know, this time right now is, like I said in an interview not so long ago, just focus on your eyes and new schemes, and how can I can make plays in this defense. That’s what’s important to me right now.”
Too often, a young player making a transition to a new city and a new organization can get caught up in learning the scheme front to back right away in OTAs, which can often be overwhelming. From the sounds of it, Wallace believes in his approach in OTAs, where he’s focused on building that camaraderie and team chemistry with his new teammates. The football stuff and the overall scheme will come in minicamp and training camp as the Steelers will be around each other a ton moving forward.
Building that chemistry with teammates and learning the calls and signals now though is a good step in the right direction for Wallace, who is certainly expected to play a significant role for the black and gold moving forward.
