Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback Levi Wallace (39) celebrates a victory against the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The Saban 250, 151-175 Topped by a Walk-on Favorite, Levi Wallace

Originally posted on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI
By Christopher Walsh | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 2:56 AM ET

There's a heavy presence of defensive players among those ranked between 151 and 175 in The Saban 250, which wasn't by design. However, it is indicative of how each one had a different path during his career. Robert Lester is a good example of that.

To look back on it now, the one play most fans remember from the safety's first few games in the lineup may have been symbolic.

Penn State was visiting Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2010 and after coming off the bench to contribute in eight games as a redshirt freshman during national championship season Lester was making just his second career start. The Nittany Lions were driving when on second-and-6 at the Alabama 16, they completed a short pass with junior receiver Chaz Powell taking a hard hit from veteran safety Mark Barron, with Lester picking up the loose ball at the 9 and taking off toward the other end zone.

Only it didn’t result in a touchdown. Some 75 yards later – believed to be the longest fumble return in Crimson Tide history -- a Penn State player eventually caught up, grabbed him by the belt and knocked the ball loose at the 16.

"I knew he was coming," Lester said at the time. "I really don't know how he got it out."

Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick tried to scoop up the loose ball and land on it only to have it stripped at the 2 and recovered by wide receiver Brett Brackett. Although the Big Ten officials appeared to initially award Alabama the ball, ruling Kirkpatrick was down before he fumbled, the play was reviewed with the crew instead giving Penn State a first down.

Lester was credited with a turnover created and a turnover lost, and the end result was the Nittany Lions losing 89 yards on the play.

"I would like to think that the first one was a fumble and the second wasn't, but no such luck," Coach Nick Saban said with a laugh. "The good news was that it changed the field position.”

Alabama won the game, of course, and Lester went on to lead the Southeastern Conference in interceptions with eight en route to being named a Walter Camp second-team All-American.

Only it proved to be perfect example of how statistics can lie, because as Lester improved fewer teams dared challenge him and his numbers continually declined.

In 2011, the interceptions slowed to a trickle, two, while his tackles dropped from 52 to 39. Alabama won another national championship and Barron, Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie were subsequently selected in the NFL Draft, but Lester decided to avoid temptation and stay at the Capstone for one final year, so he could take another important step in his development.

“It's like if you're an offensive player everybody wants to score a touchdown, but Robert really does his job well,” Saban said. “He's a leader in the secondary, I've never heard him get frustrated or show any disappointment or displeasure or anything like that in the fact that, last year he had a couple opportunities that he didn't take advantage of, but he's always in the right place and I think that his opportunities will come when he continues to play and be in the right place.

“He's certainly a good leader for us in the secondary and makes a lot of checks and adjustments, a very important part of what we do, and whether he gets interceptions or not he's a lot better player now than he was two years ago when he made all those interceptions.”

Crimson Tide Players 151-175

Looking back: From walk-on to reliable corner, Levi Wallace

The radio-show caller stumped the host Monday morning, even though the University of Alabama campus was in the heart of the station’s listening area.

“Who is Levi Wallace?” he asked. “Where did he come from?”

Florida State fans probably had the same reaction duiring the 2017 season opener in Atlanta, especially after he came off the bench to help settle down the Crimson Tide defense during the 24-7 victory. The senior’s third-quarter interception was when many of them knew for sure how the highly-touted No. 1 vs. No. 3 showdown at Mercedes-Benz Stadium would turn out.

“I don’t remember him going through recruiting or anything,” the radio caller continued.

That’s because he didn’t. Wallace was a terrific high school athlete on the other side of the country, but never had any Division I offers. He didn’t plan to play college football, just be a college student.

He’s on the Crimson Tide roster because of his father, Walter, who hailed from Tuscaloosa and was a big Crimson Tide fan.

The son walked on to the team in January of his freshman year in 2014.

Four months later, on the morning of the Crimson Tide spring celebration known as A-Day, Levi found out his father had died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was a 58.

Levi still played, and has been playing for him ever since.

“I think about him all the time right before I go out onto the field. I look up and thank him for the opportunity, for believing in me,” Levi said.

“He’s always on my mind.”

From Tucson to Tuscaloosa

Walter Lee Wallace Jr. was married for 24 years and spent 21 in the Air Force. He also started and developed numerous businesses in Tucson, Ariz., including Three Points Childcare and Preschool, and coached the Arizona Titans Track Club.

He was close to his sons, Levi and Lawrence, and used to bring them to his hometown.

“His dad was just a great guy,” Tucson High Magnet School football coach Justin Argraves said. “He was always around, supporting the program, supporting Levi and Lawrence.”

Levi was a two-way standout who never left the field for the Badgers, and that’s not an exaggeration. He started at defensive back, going from corner to safety, played wide receiver on offense and was also the return man on special teams.

“Tremendous kid,” the coach added. “When I met first him he was like 6-foot, lucky to weigh 150 pounds. Just a respectful young man. Did everything you asked.”

Because of his size, Wallace didn’t get a sniff from any Division I programs and just some looks from smaller colleges. You can’t find his original profile on any recruiting database, only as a college player who was added in later on.

The plan all along was for both brothers to attend Alabama, taking advantage of a GI Bill benefit for tuition. Even when Argraves took over his program in 2011, Levi told him he would be attending Alabama, where he hoped to walk on, and younger brother Lawrence aimed to join the track team.

But the father was diagnosed with ALS right before Levi left for Tuscaloosa in the fall of 2013.

“I had a lot going on in my life, so I was really ready to let football go,” he said. “My dad just kind of convinced me, ‘Just see how good you are.’ I wanted to see how it is going up against some of the best athletes, some of the best receivers that come to the University of Alabama. I just wanted to see how good I was.

“He just said he believed in me, he always believed in me and my abilities. He said, ‘You’re a great football player, so you might as well give it a shot and see where things go.”’

It took two years of working, learning and developing, of coming back every day to measure up against those the university had already invested in, with no guarantees for tomorrow. Along the way, a former high school teammate was killed back in Arizona, adding to the grief he already felt for his father.

“It was real hard on Levi,” Argraves said.

But during fall camp last year Wallace was [1]awarded a scholarship, along with his good friend, linebacker Jamey Mosley.

He subsequently saw his first game acton in the season opener against Southern California, making his first collegiate tackle and breaking up a pass as the Crimson Tide crushed the Trojans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, 52-6.

Wallace played 11 games, became a special-teams staple and stepped in when cornerback Marlon Humphrey had to leave the Iron Bowl with a leg injury. He saw time in the SEC Championship Game, the Peach Bowl semifinal and the National Championship Game.

“He’s one of the best technicians on the Alabama defense,” defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick said at the time. “That’s why he’s out there.”

A regular part of the depth chart

Wallace came into the 2017 season with 11 career tackles, two passes broken up and a quarterback hurry, but had been in the mix at left cornerback since the early parts of fall camp, when Nick Saban called him, “one of the guys that we’re looking to create a role for.” He soon started splitting reps with converted wide receiver Trevon Diggs with the first-team defense.

Diggs started and played the first two series against FSU, when the Seminoles had drives of eight and 11 plays, while tallying 127 yards and seven points. On one play in front of the Alabama bench, Diggs got shoved back by a wide receiver and landed on his rear.

Wallace was inserted for the subsequent possession. Florida State managed just 123 total yards the rest of the game.

He was credited with two tackles, but the play that made everyone ask, “Who’s No. 39?” was on the second snap following running back Damien Harris’ 11-yard touchdown run. Wallace made the correct read on a Deondre Francois attempt to Auden Tate and snared his first career interception.

“He understands the system, understands and can make the adaptations,” Saban said. “I think he was a little more comfortable in the game, being a big game, first game, all that. I think Trevon was a little nervous, a little anxious, made a couple of mistakes early. But I think it’s important that both of those guys can play well for us.”

But a walk-on? On college football's most imposting defense over the past decade?

You better believe it.

“Ever since I came in, I couldn’t believe he was a walk-on,” senior linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton said about Wallace. “He’s one of those under-the-radar guys and everybody inside the program knows how good he is. A guy who comes ready to work every day. I’m just glad he’s on our team.”

So was his dad, obviously, plus Wallace already has his business degree.

“I hope I made him proud,” the Crimson Tide starting cornerback said.

Check out: The Saban 250: Alabama Crimson Tide Players 176-200

Next up: Alabama Crimson Tide players 141-150

This article first appeared on Alabama Crimson Tide on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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