Still Part of Bills Family, Steelers CB Levi Wallace Dealing With Emotions of Damar Hamlin Situation
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PITTSBURGH -- The entire NFL is dealing with the tragic and terrifying situation of Damar Hamlin as the Buffalo Bills safety remains in critical condition at University of Cincinnati Medical Center following collapsing during a game.
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, many players on the roster know Hamlin, and being based in the city Hamlin grew up, they feel the emotion of a place that has deep love for the former Pitt Panther.
One member of the Steelers locker room who's been hit hard by the situation is cornerback Levi Wallace. Not even a year removed from the Bills locker room, Wallace is still part of Buffalo's family, and said Monday night was a difficult situation to watch.
"Yesterday was probably the hardest thing for me. I can only talk from my perspective," Wallace said. "Just checking in on my dog. But, you know, we still have a game this week. And so, you know, my teammates and my attention to be here as well, too. You know, I mean, obviously, I'm praying for him each and every day, and checking on him in the status and hoping for the best for him."
Wallace watched Hamlin come into the Bills locker room as a late-round draft pick. A rookie with a lot to prove - something Wallace experienced himself as an undrafted free agent.
"Yeah, a great player," Wallace said. "You know, we had the talent there. And then just being behind Micah [Hyde] and [Jordan] Poyer, you know, two of the best safeties in the game. Obviously, he was gonna have a big year, and I've been watching him, and tell him 'yo bro, you balling out there,' and I've told other teammates, 'he's playing really good,' and they all agreed. So hopefully, he gets back on the field. And, continue to do what he does, what he loves to do."
Wallace said he has reached out and heard back from old teammates in Buffalo but he made sure that with each text message he sent he let them know there was no need to text back.
For the Steelers, they'll get back to practice and continue preparing for the Cleveland Browns. For the NFL, they'll make very difficult decisions on the situation. But for everyone in the football community, the primary focus is keeping Hamlin in their thoughts and prayers.
And being there for the Bills and their safety.
"Nobody cares about football at this point," Wallace said. "And obviously, you want to give those guys a space. I'm part of that family still. Especially the DB room. Because those are my guys. But same time, you know, they need to heal too. We saw from TV perspective, I can only imagine seeing it live like they did."
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