PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Damar Hamlin situation is tough for everyone, uniquely hard for Steelers corner Levi Wallace.
Wallace was a teammate of Hamlin’s in Buffalo last year as Damar worked to make the team as a sixth-round draft pick. Wallace said he quickly learned what kinds of guy Hamlin is. What his family is like and what football means to him.
“The character that he has,” Wallace said Wednesday. “He came in super humble, he reminded me of myself. He wanted to learn and soak up and he’s having such an amazing season this year. Just hope to see him having that success, I pray that he can return and get back on the field.”
Seeing what was happening was hard for the first-year Steeler. After getting to know Hamlin and spending four years with the Bills and knowing that locker room, he wanted to be there. He was praying about him and thinking of him.
“Just wanted to reach out to my old teammates, but at the same time let them process what is going on and heal too,” Wallace said in a locker room 219 miles away. “It’s different being not there. I feel all the same things because I got real close with him last year. Just feel for my old teammates who are there and seeing the emotions they had on the field. Just not being in that environment is tough.”
“It’s still some of my best friends I have to this day. It’s tough for me being out here and processing it.”
Yet there he was, a full practice participant at Steelers practice on Wednesday. His new team still alive for the playoffs
“Today was a lot better day,” Wallace said. “I needed yesterday to get my mind together. It’s tough. Today is better, my team needs me here too. We still have a game this week and I need to be locked in on that. Do it for them this last week.”