Steelers CB Levi Wallace thinking of ‘really good dude,’ former Bills teammate Damar Hamlin
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Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Levi Wallace spent one of his four seasons with the Buffalo Bills occupying the same position room as Damar Hamlin.
That was in 2021 when Hamlin was a sixth-round draft pick out of Pitt. Wallace was in his final season in Buffalo, but in Hamlin he saw a kindred spirit.
Wallace was an undrafted free agent who emerged as a starting cornerback for the Bills, so he could understand the long odds associated with Hamlin, the unheralded safety who entered the NFL just trying to earn a spot on the roster.
And, like his older teammate, Hamlin eventually worked his way into the starting lineup.
“We hung out a lot,” Wallace said Wednesday, two days after he watched Hamlin go into cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. “Really good dude. … Tons of talent, but a better dude.”
Wallace was attracted to Hamlin’s infectious personality.
“Just the energy he brought — always trying to learn, always asking the right questions and so grateful just to keep playing this game,” Wallace said. “It’s cool when you have somebody who comes in like that and has respect for the game. That’s how I came in, so you kind of gravitate to those people no matter the age.”
Given his connection to the Bills organization and the number of former teammates on the roster, Wallace was jolted by watching Hamlin’s injury unfold on national television Monday night.
“I’m part of that family still, especially that DB room because those are my guys,” Wallace said. “At the same time, they need to heal, too. We saw it from a TV perspective. I can only imagine seeing it live like they did.
“I texted them and said they didn’t need to text me back. We talked, but I want to give them their space. It’s different seeing it on TV and knowing him as opposed to being there and seeing the raw emotion.”
Steelers players returned to work Wednesday morning after having their customary day off Tuesday.
Hamlin’s recovery remained fresh in Wallace’s mind as he prepared to start the week of practice in preparation for the regular-season finale Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
“Yesterday was probably the hardest day for me,” Wallace said. “Checking in on my dog. We still have a game this week, and my teammates need my attention to be here as well.”
Wallace believes that what happened to Hamlin — he collapsed after making a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins — was unavoidable even if it was jarring to watch.
“You get to a point where injuries are natural. It’s what you sign up with,” he said. “When it gets taken that far, I don’t think we’ve processed that something could happen to that magnitude. It definitely messes with you a little bit. It’s different seeing that. All you can do is hope for the best for him and try to figure out why it happened and try to prevent it from ever happening again — if that is possible.”
Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward was focused on the return to practice while being mindful of Hamlin’s recovery at a Cincinnati hospital.
“Nobody thinks that risk is ever going to take place,” Heyward said, calling Hamlin’s injury a “freak accident.”
“Right now, I can only continue to do my job. I think other guys are going to do that, but everyone is thinking about that kid.”