Few players in the National Football League could match the speed of Mike Wallace today, as he is one of the elite league-wide receivers that has been most effective as a deep threat. The 2011 Pro Bowl competitor currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, having previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Miami Dolphins, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Baltimore Ravens.
Early Life and Education
On August 1, 1986, Mike Wallace was welcomed by his parents Burnell and Sonjia Wallace in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he grew up. Like every other small child in the area who had to choose between music and sports as a way out of poverty, Wallace began playing soccer from an early age and excelled at it.
He attended O. Perry Walker High School, where he was part of the athletics and soccer teams, and especially played alongside future NFL cornerback Keenan Lewis. As a junior, Wallace showed his versatility and ability to play both offensively and defensively, although he was mainly on the defensive and played four receptions this year. In his senior year, however, Wallace was more on the offensive side and showed why colleges should have him in their programs when he caught 60 passes for 1,039 yards with 19 touchdowns. He set the school record for overall scores and kick-return touchdowns and also earned first-team all-state honors and league and district MVP honors.
After his high school football career, Mike Wallace signed up to visit Oregon State to play with his friend Lewis. Later, however, the player retired from his commitment and transferred to the University of Mississippi, which had brought his high school coach to the facility.
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Mike Wallace began his life in college football as expected, playing 10 games as a true rookie. The following year, 2006, he started all 12 games for his school and scored two touchdown receptions. In 2007, Wallace again played all 12 games for his school and recorded 38 receptions for 716 courts with 6 touchdowns, earning him a place in the third team’s All-Southeastern Conference. In his final year on the senior team, Wallace showed further improvement when he caught 39 passes for 784 yards with 7 touchdowns.
After graduating from college and attending the 2009 NFL Combine, where he showed a strong performance in the 40-yard sprint, the Pittsburgh Steelers voted him into the third round of the 84th Annual NFL Draft 2009. He put a three-year contract worth $1.74 million on paper, which included a $555,000 bonus for signing.
His rookie season was memorable when Wallace was presented with the Joe Greene Great Performance Award, which is given to the best rookie on the Steelers’ list. The Wide Receiver caught a game-defining pass with seconds left on the clock as he fell off the field to give his team the victory over their fierce rival, the Green Bay Packers. He also led the entire league in average yards per reception.
In his second season, everything continued as usual as Wallace, who became his team’s No. 2 wide receivers, established himself as an elite wide receiver with 60 receptions for 1,257 yards of receiving and 10 touchdowns. That year he had his first appearance in the Super Bowl, which his team lost to the Packers. Mike Wallace spent two more years with the Steelers before he joined the Miami Dolphins as a freelancer. He spent two years in South Beach before joining the Minnesota Vikings in 2015. After one season, the Vikings released the Wide Receiver, paving the way for him to join the Baltimore Ravens in March 2016. Upon expiration of his two-year contract with the Ravens, Wallace joined the Philadelphia Eagles.
Does Mike Wallace Have a Girlfriend or Wife?
Mike Wallace is not married but has a long-standing relationship with Vanessa Cole, who is best known as the cast member of WAGS Miami. In addition to her screen job, Ms. Cole also works as a model and is known as a fairly accomplished businesswoman who deals primarily in real estate. She reportedly worked as an agent for Momentum Financial Group in 2010 before starting her own company, Cole-Klein Builders.
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Wallace met Cole, who was born in New York on June 26, 1989, allegedly at the age of 19. Since that time, the two have grown together and even become proud parents of two adorable daughters: Maliha and Brooklyn Wallace.
Height, Weight, Body Measurements
Mike Wallace is 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) tall and weighs 200 pounds (91 kg). He also has an arm length of 313/8 inches and a hand length of 9 inches.