Levi Wallace is no stranger to competition.

It is something the Bills cornerback said he has been doing dating back as early as his Pop Warner days.

So finding himself in a battle to keep his starting job for a second-straight training camp doesn't move the needle much for Wallace.


What You Need To Know

  • Levi Wallace has embraced competition since Pop Warner football

  • Wallace's relationship with Josh Norman has been great since day one

  • Quinton Spain won Bills Ironman Competition for best progress during team's offseason program

  • Wednesday training camp shifts to "Gradual Ramp Up" phase

His confidence remains despite outsiders viewing his 2019 season as a step back.

Wallace started all 16 games last year, grabbing two interceptions plus nine pass break-ups. Opponents completed 69 of the 105 passes thrown Wallace's way. While those completions ranked as the fifth-most allowed in the NFL, so too were the targets. The 65.7% completion ranked 127th, according to Pro Football Reference.

Still, Wallace ended the season rotating with Kevin Johnson.

Now Josh Norman is here to compete for Wallace's job. While the two have both said they will work as hard as they can get win the job, it is also about making each other better. Wallace has been soaking up everything he can from Norman from day one.

And Wallace never forgets where he came from. A walk-on at Alabama who eventually earned a scholarship, starting job, and national championship. His pro path began as an undrafted free agent that landed on the Bills practice squad before eventually starting the final seven games of 2018 and holding the job since.

But that same course is not possible for this year's UDFA's. No rookie minicamp, OTAs, minicamp, or preseason games drastically cut into their chances to make an NFL roster. 

It's something that has really weighed on Wallace.

Quinton Spain was also undrafted. He too worked his way into a career that last season saw him not allow a single sack. He re-signed with the Bills this offseason, a place where he credits offensive line coach Bobby Johnson for taking Spain's game to the next level.

Spain has set himself up for potentially an even better season in 2020. He says he turned a good amount of weight from fat into muscle. His work was so impressive that he won the Bills Ironman Competition for best results from the team's offseason program.

Bills back on the Wednesday, where, according to the NFLPA schedule, training camp will shift to the gradual ramp up period. Here players will be allowed up to 3.5 hours of on-field daily work. The first practice can begin at 90 minutes and increase up to 15 minutes each day, maxing out at 2 hours. Helmets can be worn beginning Wednesday, adding shells on Friday. Saturday will be an off-day before padded practice can begin next Monday, August 17th.