“So I grew up like that. So, like, I felt like it’s been games where I was, like, when I sat out, oh, I could have played. But just the professional aspect of being smart and knowing, like, ‘Hey, your body is your money. So just get prepared for the next game and then see what you can do after that.’
“They really had to protect me from myself because I was telling them straight up, like I can go out there, shoulder, no shoulder, amputate it off, so I can go out there and play with one arm.”
That seemed like a slightly dramatic choice, though, so instead Wallace took his time recovering, even when he wanted to test the waters to play again. For two weeks, he prepared as best he could, knowing he likely wouldn’t play but wanting to be ready just in case. It was easier, Wallace admitted, because he was forced to exit during a period of his career in which he was playing well.