The Steelers have long been a team that’s predicated on their physical brand of football, namely on the defensive side of the ball, and last season was no different, as the team once again led the league in sacks for the fifth consecutive season. Led by All-Pro’s like AP Defensive POY T.J. Watt, who tied Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record, Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick, it’s clear why the team had several outside free agents such as inside linebacker Myles Jack and cornerback Levi Wallace wanting to join Pittsburgh.
For Wallace, he may have had a few more reasons though, as he told ex-Steeler Arthur Moats on the Steelers Blitz podcast earlier today.
“I mean, coming from Buffalo and you know how they get down up there, it’s absolutely Bills’ Mafia and it’s crazy. And so I just felt the same vibe here and I’ve always been a fan of Pittsburgh,” Wallace said on Steelers Blitz via Steelers Nation Radio.
He went on to cite the nastiness associated with the team, and said he got tired of seeing them on the schedule his first few years in Buffalo. Another huge reason he joined the team was the ability to compete for a starting spot, as the team opted to let go of veteran corner Joe Haden after the season. After playing second-fiddle to big-name corner, Pro Bowler Tre’Davious White in Buffalo, he now gets the chance to potentially become a #1 corner in his own right, playing on a defense full of star power and leadership, including longtime friend/college teammate Fitzpatrick.
He didn’t elaborate much on Fitzpatrick, as he’s already said on numerous occasions what he means to him, both on and off the football field. Instead he focused on the impressive work ethic that he’s seen from some of his new teammates, as he works to assimilate himself into a defense that looks to improve in several rankings next season. A hard worker in his own right, as evidenced by his rise to the league as a former walk-on at Alabama, Wallace has been wide-eyed by what he’s seen thus far from his new defensive teammates.
“You just see the presence that Cam has and T.J. and just how they move and how they work. It makes you wanna work harder. Even Cam Sutton, just the great leadership that he has in the corner room and even Spoon [Ahkello Witherspoon], he’s year six. Just the wisdom that he brings to the table. I mean, we’re all just bouncing notes off of each other.”
