'An underdog my whole life:' Levi Wallace embracing challenge against the Bengals in week one
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - While all eyes were on the competition between Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, and Mason Rudolph in the preseason, there were plenty of other battles taking place on the Steelers depth chart.
That includes on the defensive side of the ball and cornerback Levi Wallace.
Wallace was a free agent acquisition and while he isn't listed as a starter, he will see action in week one, and what a week to see it. The Bengals have a dynamic offense and weapons all over the field, so it will be just another challenge for Wallace to tackle, so to speak.
"I've been an underdog my whole life, so I never look at the media or care who they pick, they're not playing the game," he said when asked about how the Steelers are heavy underdogs in the eyes of many heading into week one. "We put the work in, so hopefully things go our way."
Facing the odds head-on is just something Wallace is familiar with. He was a walk-on in college, an undrafted free agent, and now he finds himself as an option for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a franchise whose identity is all about having a smothering defense.
"Crazy ride man, I was telling you earlier I should write a book, it's crazy just knowing where I came from and how I got here," he said.
For Wallace, while he may not be the blue-chip prospect or heavily coveted free agent, he's still savoring the moment and not taking it for granted.
"I play as hard as I can for as long as I can," he said. "This game has been good to me, I've been playing since I was five. I'll go out there and play for my teammates."
KEYS TO VICTORY
Really, it comes down to just one thing but it takes place on both sides of the ball: the Steelers will have to be able to run the football effectively and stop the Bengals from running the ball.
They were unable to either against Cincinnati last year, leading to two losses.
The key to that could be Larry Ogunjobi, the Steelers defensive lineman who was with the Bengals last season but signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh this offseason.
"When you have a challenge, obviously they went to the Super Bowl last year, they have a lot of special players on that team, so I think it will be a great challenge for us to just go out there and play Steelers football," he said.
What do the Steelers have to do to stop the run, specifically Joe Mixon?
"Play to our keys, attack the football, knock the line of scrimmage back," he said. "I got nothing but respect for Joe as a runner and a player."
Ogunjobi is also familiar with what the Bengals' defense can do and with that in mind, he's helped out second-year running back Najee Harris on what to expect and how he can effectively run the ball against them.
"I talked to him a couple of times," Harris said. "Larry was on the D-line, so their front, and [asked about] some of the tendencies they do. He was at the nose sometimes, so he'd walk the center back. I told him, there's some stuff that we do and that we plan on doing and he helped a lot."
Last year, the Steelers were only able to rush for 96 yards combined last year against the Bengals so for the team to be successful that will have to change. Not only will it keep the Steelers' offense on the field, but it will also keep Joe Burrow and the dynamic Bengals' offense off the field.
"Yes, of course, we lost to them twice last year, but for us, it's about executing our game plan and doing what we got to do to make plays and win our one-on-one matchups," Harris said. "That's what we're really worried about and all the other stuff will play a part."
A big game for Harris will put the Steelers in a good position for an upset over the rival Bengals.
You can catch the game right here on KDKA at 1 p.m.!
