Nov 18, 2015 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Cody Wallace always has a smile on his face as if he’s the only one in on an inside joke.

Maybe he is.

After eight years and six teams, he’s finally a starter in the NFL.

“It’s not the typical route – Year 8 to finally start – but it’s been fun to be a part of it,” Wallace said.

With All-Pro Maurkice Pouncey out, Wallace has started all 10 games at center for the Steelers , who are 6-4 at their bye week, four more than he previously started in his career. And with Pouncey looking more unlikely to return from a broken left fibula suffered in the preseason that required a second surgery a couple of weeks ago, Wallace could hold down that spot the rest of the way.

That’s just fine with Wallace. He might lack the talent of Pouncey, but Wallace brings a presence to the position that has impressed his teammates.

“Cody Wallace always plays to the whistle,” said Steelers receiver Antonio Brown. “He’s always around the pile getting an extra push or working downfield. I think the rest of the offense kind of feeds off of that.”

Each extra push Wallace gets back from an opponent just increases the smile on his face. Wallace is one of those players you love to have on your team and one opponents love to hate.

“It’s just part of my game. Honestly, it’s one of my biggest joys out of playing, kind of getting under the other guy’s skin and just having fun for me,” Wallace said. “The other guys get a kick out of it. They see me doing it, finishing plays, and they want to do the same things. It’s fun to be a part of when we’re out there battling, giving an extra little shove, getting the defense mad.”

It’s something Wallace relishes every time he’s on the field – mostly because he spent so much time on the sideline in his first eight years, the typical definition of an NFL journeyman.

A three-year starter at Texas A&M, where he was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy – given to college football’s top center – as a senior, Wallace was a fourth-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 2008.

He was active for just one game in two seasons for San Francisco, which released him at the end of training camp in 2010. Wallace spent the rest of that season on the move, first on Detroit’s practice squad, then Houston’s and finally the Jets’.

In 2011, he re-signed with Houston and spent the season on the Texans’ practice squad. Tampa Bay claimed him off waivers and he appeared in eight games in 2012, catching the eye of Steelers’ scouts.

When Wallace was released by Tampa Bay at the end of the 2013 training camp, the Steelers, in need of a backup to Pouncey, signed him.

As luck would have it, Pouncey lasted just eight plays in 2013 before suffering a torn ACL. The Steelers initially signed veteran Fernando Velasco to replace Pouncey, but when he also was injured, Wallace wound up starting four games.

He stuck with the Steelers, starting two games at guard before being moved back to his natural center position this season. It’s been a heck of a journey, one in which Wallace has logged a lot of miles and spent a lot of time practicing without playing on Sundays.

“It’s been a long time coming. I’m getting an opportunity and I’m trying to make the most of it,” Wallace said. “Coach (Mike) Tomlin always talks about the standard. I think it’s something that holds guys accountable. It is easy and other teams probably do that – ah, we’re missing this guy – but you don’t hear that kind of talk around here. We’ve had guys out all season, but we’ve kind of stepped up.”

Enough that the Steelers haven’t missed a beat, despite having two backups – Wallace and Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle in place of the injured Kelvin Beachum – in the lineup.

“Those are two quality guys,” said right guard David DeCastro. “Cody has been here with us for a while and Al is just a freakish athlete. Those guys both work so hard.”

They’ll need to continue that if the Steelers are to get back to the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

“This game, just being around it is a lot of fun,” Wallace said. “Anybody who has had a chance to be in an NFL locker room and be a part of a team, they know what it’s like. … It’s just a special thing to be a part of. Whatever you can do to keep doing it and ride that out, you definitely want to keep doing it.”

Odds and end zones

The Steelers had a light practice Wednesday and are off until Monday. … Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after coming off the bench to throw for 379 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Cleveland.