There is a brief but significant time before each game that AJ Wallace uses to remind himself why he will give all-out effort on every snap.
Just before kickoff, Wallace retreats to a spot where he can be alone to collect his thoughts and pray for 2 minutes, 15 seconds.
“My uncle died two years ago, and the last time we spoke on the phone, the conversation lasted 2 minutes and 15 seconds,” Wallace said. “So now I take that time to pray and think about how much my uncle and my family are my inspiration.
“He was the uncle who used to spend time showing me drills for football and encouraging me, so I dedicate everything I do on the field to his memory.”
With scholarship offers from more than a half-dozen college programs, including Kentucky, Louisville, Mississippi State, Toledo and Virginia Tech, the 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior is No. 12 in this year’s Times Free Press Dynamite Baker’s Dozen countdown of the area’s top players.