Levi Wallace Walked On, Went Undrafted, Made 96 NFL Starts. Now He’s Retired.

Levi Wallace is calling it a career. The cornerback who went from undrafted free agent to a seven-year NFL run officially retired Friday, posting a simple four-line summary that summed up his whole path: “Walk-on. Undrafted. 8 years. Retired. Not bad.”

That line pretty much tells the story. Wallace didn’t get the red carpet treatment coming out of Alabama. He signed with the Bills in 2018 as an undrafted free agent, got cut, then worked his way back onto the roster and started seven games as a rookie. Over four years in Buffalo he started 52 games, racked up 219 tackles, 30 pass breakups and six interceptions, and became a steady piece of those playoff teams under Sean McDermott.

He moved on to the Steelers in 2022 and spent two seasons there, matching his Buffalo pick total with six more interceptions over 31 games. His last NFL action came with the Broncos in 2024. Wallace signed with the Jaguars in 2025 but got hurt before he ever played a snap for them.

Final numbers: 96 games, 333 tackles, 56 passes defended, 12 interceptions. Not flashy. Not a star. But for a guy who had to prove himself at every stop, it’s a solid career.

From walk-on to 52 starts in Buffalo

Wallace’s Bills tenure is what will probably get remembered most. He wasn’t a lockdown corner, but he was reliable. He didn’t miss many games and he didn’t get burned often. In an era where Buffalo went from rebuilding to legit contender, Wallace was one of those glue guys who helped stabilize the secondary. His six interceptions in Buffalo came across four seasons, and he was on the field for every playoff push the franchise made in that stretch.

Pittsburgh signed him as a free agent in 2022 and he started 27 games across two years. He had 24 pass breakups and 86 tackles there, playing opposite guys like Patrick Surtain II (in Denver) and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Not bad company.

Wallace turns 30 in June. He’s walking away on his own terms, which isn’t something every undrafted guy gets to do. Most of them are out of the league in two or three years. He lasted seven, started nearly 100 games, and made enough money to set himself up.

He didn’t say much in his retirement post, but he didn’t need to. The math speaks for itself.