| A.J. Wallace |
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With the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernesto bringing a steady rain in the 2006 season-opener with Akron, A.J. Wallace wasn't about to let the less than ideal conditions slow him down in his first game as a Nittany Lion. Entering the game early in the second quarter, the true freshman cornerback and kick returner zipped to a 42-yard reverse on his first collegiate snap, setting up a touchdown. Wallace also returned two kickoffs (41 and 54 yards), giving him 137 all-purpose yards in a very impressive collegiate debut. The highly skilled and swift Wallace was a dynamic kickoff returner and gained valuable experience in the secondary, seeing increasing action for one of the nation's top defenses as the season progressed. Wallace averaged a superb 21.8 yards per touch. He was fourth on the squad with 546 all-purpose yards on his 25 touches and was fourth in the Big Ten with a 24.2 kickoff return average. With Tony Davis moving to free safety during spring practice, Wallace should be a strong challenger for a starting assignment at cornerback. He and Lydell Sargeant are the top candidates to join the first unit for what should be an athletic and productive secondary. A U.S. Army All-American at the McDonough HS, Wallace is an electric and instinctive athlete who has an opportunity to be a significant contributor the next three seasons. He is one of eight returning Nittany Lions from Maryland.
2006 Freshman Season
Playing in every game, the electrifying Wallace made an immediate impact, averaging a superb 21.8 yards per touch. The multi-talented athlete played offense, defense and special teams during the course of the season. He was fourth on the squad with 546 all-purpose yards on his 25 touches and was fourth in the Big Ten with a 24.2 kickoff return average on 16 returns. Wallace gained 153 yards rushing on just eight attempts for an outstanding 19.1 average. He saw increased time at cornerback as the season unfolded and made 10 tackles (eight solo). He delivered five plays of 40 or more yards. Entering the season-opener with Akron in the second quarter, he zipped to a 42-yard reverse on his first collegiate snap, setting up a touchdown for a 17-0 lead. Wallace also returned two kickoffs (41 and 54 yards), giving him 137 all-purpose yards in an impressive collegiate debut. Wallace delivered a dazzling 76-yard touchdown on a reverse against Youngstown State and returned the opening kickoff 46 yards against Michigan. At Notre Dame, he ran once for 17 yards on a reverse, made his first career reception for five yards and returned two kickoffs for 26 yards. He made two solo stops against Michigan and returned four kickoffs 89 yards against Illinois, including a 33-yard effort. Wallace returned a kickoff 31 yards against Temple and ended the regular-season with five solo tackles against Michigan State. He was on the field for 211 plays, led by 32 snaps in the Temple game and 30 against the Spartans.
High School
Wallace was a first-team small school all-state selection for Coach David Bradshaw at the McDonough HS. He rushed for 2,100 yards and 28 touchdowns on 220 carries in his career, averaging a superlative 9.5 yards per attempt. He also had three interceptions and returned three kickoffs for touchdowns. He was ranked the No. 6 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com and earned Washington Post first-team All-Met accolades. Wallace was chosen a U.S. Army All-American and played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl with future Nittany Lion teammates Chris Bell, Maurice Evans and Jared Odrick.
Personal
Full name is Anton Dominic Wallace Jr. He is undecided on a major. Born May 23, 1988.
