Bills Training Camp Spotlight: The Battle for CB2
Perhaps nobody embraces the brotherhood of football more than Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace.
All Wallace has done since making the team as an undrafted free agent in 2018 is win the starting outside cornerback job opposite Tre'Davious White and keep it while fending off all challengers.
Still, unlike White, Wallace's job is far from secure heading into his fourth season.
Yet he wouldn't have it any other way.
In fact, Wallace said on Friday after practice at training camp that part of his job is to help those trying to take it, particularly second-year pro Dane Jackson. That's what he did during the offseason and will continue to do long after the CB2 position is decided.
"We're brothers on this field," Wallace said. "... We're a family. Me and Dane have been together, what is it, our second year now? And we're just trying to make each other better. If he's getting better, I'm getting better. Same with T-White. I mean, he was up here for a little bit too [in the offseason].
"All of us working, we're just trying to be the best secondary that we can be, as we know how last season finished. We weren't really happy with that, so we're just trying to do the most for our team while we're here."
Nobody was more heartened to hear that than defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
"I don't think he's too concerned about who we bring to camp or who someone might say is his competition," Frazier said. "He's much more concerned with getting his game to where it needs to be. And that's the right attitude. That's the way it should be.
"It should be about Levi and not about things he can't control. And I think that's one of the reasons each time there's been a challenge, he's been able to rise to the challenge."
Jackson isn't the only one competing for Wallace's job. There's established slot corner Taron Johnson, Siran Neal, Cam Lewis, Nick McCloud and rookies Rachad Wildgoose and Olaijah Griffin.
All that does is amplify Wallace's enthusiasm.
"I'm in the most competitive job in America," he said. "If you're not out here competing, if you're not out here having fun, what are you out here for? Dane's a great corner. So is Cam Lewis, so is Nick, so is [Griffin]. I mean, there's so many guys that they brought in, so many talented guys.
"You're here for one reason and one reason alone: to compete. I mean, T-White, we're all chasing 2-7, one of the greatest corners, in my opinion, in the league right now that I've ever seen. So it just pushes you and makes you want to go for more."
Nick Fierro is the publisher of Bills Central. Check out the latest Bills news at www.si.com/nfl/bills and follow Fierro on Twitter at @NickFierro. Email to Nicky300@aol.com.
