Eagles' K'Von Wallace Sends Confident Reminder: 'I’m Still Here!'
PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia Eagles came into training camp this summer with plenty of candidates to replace the two starting safeties -- C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps -- who helped them reach Super Bowl LVII.
The leading candidates figured to be former Pittsburgh starter Terrell Edmunds, talented third-round rookie Sydney Brown, and second-year player Reed Blankenship, who came out of nowhere last season to excel when Gardner-Johnson was down with a lacerated kidney.
Maybe even Justin Evans, a one-time second-round pick in Tampa Bay, could get into the mix thanks to his coverage skills. The forgotten man in this competition was fourth-year incumbent K'Von Wallace, who was banished to the bubble with special teams as the only likely path to the roster, according to most outside observers.
Through six practices, things have started to come into focus at the position with the headline being Blankenship putting a stranglehold on one of the two spots while Edmunds and Wallace, 26, tangle for the other one.
Meanwhile, all three players have been featured in defensive coordinator Sean Desai's big nickel with Edmunds and Wallace being the two toggling between safety and off-ball linebacker.
The fact that Wallace is in the mix is no surprise to the Clemson product, who has a chip on his shoulder entering what is a contract year for him.
“Every year is a competition,” Wallace said after Thursday's practice. “Every year, you gotta prove and reprove yourself. Each and every year, I just try to elevate, try to get more playing time."
In Wallace's mind if you're not fighting for an increased role you might as well find another line of work.
“If you’re not playing to be a starter, then what are you out here for?" Wallace asked rhetorically. "I’m prepared and I’m ready and I’m willing to scratch and claw for that starting spot."
Wallace spent the summer working on his body and mind, the latter perhaps the more important part of the process after an up-and-down first three seasons in a football-passionate market often quick to criticize.
"A lot a lot of thinking, a lot of mental battles that I had to go through this offseason to make sure that I'm ready for this year," Wallace admitted. "And I'm ready now, ready for whatever gets thrown my way."
He returned to Clemson and surrounded himself with those closest to him.
"Honestly, being back at Clemson. I went to train back at my alma mater. Just being in that environment is always love," Wallace said. "I got a lot of church buddies out there. So mentally I feel like it starts with my spirit. ... I just basically had to reshape myself spiritually and make sure that I'm doing what God wants me to do. Make sure that I'm taking the step that God wants me to take. The path that he wants me on. And I'm looking forward to follow that path.
"And I feel like this offseason I've done that has been very very beneficial for me spiritually and mentally."
The mental strength has translated to a more confident player on the field.
“You earn your first-team reps, so K'Von has done a nice job,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “K'Von has done well for us on special teams these past two years, and now he's got an opportunity. There's some safety spots open, and he has an opportunity to be able to be in the mix.”
If you're keeping score, Wallace is still the longshot, however. Edmunds leads him in first-team reps and it's hardly the best-kept secret that the Eagles want Brown on the field sooner rather than later.
That said, the fact that Wallace has pushed himself into the conversation from afterthought means his end game is in each.
“Every year I feel like I have a shot,” Wallace said. “It’s me vs. me out there. And I feel like my first few years I had a lot of learning to do and a lot of self-evaluation I had to do.
"I look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘It’s on me.’ I’ve done that this year and that’s why I feel like I’m out here playing my best ball, out here flying around the defense, even knowing other positions that will help me. Trying to be reliable for my defense and for my coach.”
Slow and steady might just win this race for Wallace.
“I’m still here," Wallace said. "I’m still here."
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
