Each day counting down to Alabama's Week 1 matchup with Utah State, I will highlight one former player whose jersey number coincides with the amount of days until the game. The Crimson Tide kicks off in only 39 days, so let's look at a recent Bama star, Levi Wallace. 

Levi Wallace played for Alabama from 2014-17, and despite joining the team as a zero-star recruit, he worked his way into a high caliber, lockdown cornerback that has put together an impressive NFL career up to this point.

Wallace played high school football in Tucson, AZ where he went entirely unnoticed by colleges. Although he developed solid skills as a multi-sport athlete, his options to continue his football career were nearly nonexistent at the conclusion of his senior year.

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Faced with limited options to continue playing, Wallace took a walk-on opportunity with the Alabama Crimson Tide, his late father's favorite team.

Though he didn't see the field in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Wallace earned a scholarship ahead of his junior year and seized the opportunity. In eleven appearances, Wallace compiled eleven tackles and two pass deflections, serving as a depth piece in a loaded secondary.

In 2017, as a senior, he took over as a starter and put together a fantastic season. Wallace finished with 48 tackles, 15 pass deflections and three interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Alabama won the National Championship and the former walk-on was named to the All-SEC Second Team.

Despite a solid senior campaign, Wallace went undrafted in 2018 and was signed to the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. The Tucson native spent three seasons in Buffalo before departing in free agency and joining the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2021 season.

Across his three-year career, Wallace has quickly separated himself as a top-tier young cornerback and should continue to do so in Pittsburgh.

Stay locked in to Tide1009.com for the countdown to Alabama football. Check out the rest of the list here.

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