Levi Wallace knows what it’s like to feel lonely.
The Tucson High School product and third-year veteran for the Buffalo Bills is stuck in his apartment in Western New York, rehabbing from shoulder surgery and waiting out the coronavirus shutdown like millions of others. He doesn’t have a roommate or a pet to keep him company.
“Just me, myself and I,” Wallace said during a recent phone interview.
Wallace’s mother, Wendy, lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He bought her an iPad, and the two FaceTime almost every day.
His younger brother, Lawrence, lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where they both went to college.
When the shelter-in-place orders were issued last month, forcing most U.S. citizens to remain at home aside from walks around the neighborhood or trips to the grocery store, Wallace realized he wasn’t alone. Yes, he was by himself. But countless others undoubtedly were experiencing the same anxieties.
So Wallace took an unusual step: He posted a phone number on his Instagram Story and invited people to call him.
“I really just wanted to reach out to people and check out how Bills Mafia was doing, or any football fan,” Wallace said. “Because we’re all in the same situation.”
Wallace, 24, got the idea from Michael Todd, a pastor at Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Last month Todd launched an online sermon series entitled, “Who is the minister here?” The idea behind it: Everyone is.
Todd made himself available to people in need. Wallace figured he should do the same.
“He was doing kind of the same thing, just checking in on people,” Wallace said. “I just wanted to use my platform to do that as well.”
Wallace established himself as an NFL starter last season, recording 76 tackles and two interceptions for Buffalo, which won 10-plus games for the first time in 20 years.
That performance continued an underdog story Wallace has been authoring since college, when he made the Alabama football team as a walk-on and became a starter for the top program in the country.
Despite earning second-team all-SEC honors in 2017, Wallace went undrafted the following spring.
He signed with the Bills as a free agent and began his pro career on their practice squad before becoming a starter midway through his rookie year.
Wallace spoke to the Star about his uncommon gesture, which first was reported by The Buffalo News. The conversation has been lightly edited for context and clarity.
How many phone calls did you end up getting?
A: “Honestly, I didn’t even keep track. It was so many. I was on a phone call, and like five people would call me at the same time. So I had to just start sending people to voicemail, and then I’d call them back. I probably got over 1,000 messages, easily.”
Did you call back every single person?
A: “I called back (a little) more than half. There were a lot of people that said I don’t need you to call back; I just think what you’re doing is great. I got a lot of messages like that. Or just ‘Go Bills.’ I really called back the people (who) were struggling with something.”
What percentage of the conversations was about football, and what percentage was about life?
A: “Probably about 80-20 from life to football. I really tried to stay away from football. It’s the offseason anyways. I really just wanted to check in on how people were doing.
“Whether we have a season or not this year, it’s, it’s bigger than just football. There were a lot of Bills fans for sure. But I really just care about the wellness of people. We’re all struggling in quarantine right now.”
Did any particular conversation stand out to you?
A: “There were a couple of them, actually. I wrote down a big list of people that I needed to pray for. Not to get into a lot of specifics, but there were some crazy stories.
“People are going through a lot of hard things, way harder than what I’m going through, and it just gives me a perspective that I’m blessed (with) what I have right now.”
What do you say to people who are struggling and looking for some guidance?
A: “I honestly just pray for them. … I update them on what I’m doing and tell them that I’ll keep them in my prayers. I would like to help as much as I could. In some situations, I talked to people that had the coronavirus.
Levi Wallace, left, had a strong prep career for the Badgers, but didn’t receive much recruiting attention. He ended up starting for Alabama and is now a key part of the Bills defense.
“Some in New York City stuck in their building for like four weeks.
“I was just hearing their situation, you know? And it’s lonely. I’m in my apartment right now by myself. You can get lonely and get depressed a little bit. So I was trying to make some jokes, just be there for people.”
Do you feel like your career — your story — is an inspiration for people?
A: “I’ve heard it that way, that I inspire a lot of people. I didn’t mean to. I’m not really trying to. I’m just trying to play football at the end of the day.”
Might you do something like this again?
A: “Yeah. I’ve always done a ton of community service anyways. I think I’m called to that. I’m trying to get my foundation started pretty soon to deal with kids. That’s where my heart is at.
“So I’d definitely do it again, depending on how long we’re still in this.”
What do you hope to accomplish with your foundation?
A: “I’m still in the development stages of it. I know I want to focus on kids, specifically where I’m playing and in Arizona for a lot of kids that have a story like me. Arizona doesn’t get a lot of recruitment, especially Tucson, like it should, especially with the athletes that we have.
“So that, and then my dad, he passed away from ALS (in 2014), so I want to support ALS and everything that they do as well. And not just the research part, but helping the families, helping homes become accessible, wheelchair-accessible, giving them ramps and stuff. Anything that they need, because it’s hard.”
How do you feel like your NFL career has gone so far?
A: “It’s been all right. Not the best, not to worst. … I’ve never really looked back and tried to analyze what I’ve done thus far. It’s still early in my career, so I haven’t accomplished anything that I wanted to yet.”
Were you surprised you didn’t get drafted? Upset? Did you expect it given how your career had gone to that point?
A: “I don’t know about surprised. I was upset for sure. But it is what it is. This is just my story now, being a walk-on and undrafted. So I’m glad where I’ve come (from).
“It’s not really up to us. It’s up to the Lord, whatever He decides for me … I’m happy either way. As long as I have the opportunity to play in the NFL, I’m good to go.”
