Cody Wallace
Encyclopedia
Cody Layne Wallace is an American football
center
for the Houston Texans
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas A&M
.
Wallace has also been a member of the New York Jets
and the Detroit Lions
.
, where he earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman. He played center
, offensive guard, and offensive tackle at Cuero. As a junior and senior, he made over 100 pancake blocks. On the defensive line as a senior, he posted 45 tackles
. He also advanced to the powerlifting
state meet.
As a college prospect in high school, he was rated 3 stars by Rivals.com
, ranked 16th in the 2003 offensive guard prospect class, and ranked 42nd out of all 2003 Texas high school prospects. He was recruited by Texas A&M, Texas Tech
, Iowa
, and Texas
. He chose to sign a National Letter of Intent
with Texas A&M under head coach
Dennis Franchione
.
his first season. In his freshman (2004) season, he played in five games and was listed second at strong guard on the depth chart
.
As a sophomore, Wallace started
in all 11 games as a center. He helped the team compile an average of 442.3 yards of total offense
per game, which is the second best in team history. The team also rushed for 234.9 yards per game, which was A&M's best rushing
record since 1991. He received SBC All-Big 12 honorable mention honors after the season.
Wallace continued to start as center in all 13 games during his junior season
, helping the team produce 397.4 offensive yards per game, including a Big 12 record 206.8 rushing yards per game. The team also led the Big 12 in time of possession, third down conversion percentage, and the least number of turnovers. The offensive line allowed only 1.5 quarterback sacks per game. For his efforts, he was named to the AT&T
All-Big 12 Football Second Team.
Prior to his senior season, he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team. After the regular season in his senior year, he was named to the All-Big 12 Football First Team, and was awarded by the Big 12 coaches (who are not allowed to vote for their own players) as the co-offensive lineman of the year. He was also named a Rimington Trophy finalist.
, Wallace ran a 5.30 40 yard dash
and made 26 repetitions on the 225-lb
bench press
.
, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
in the fourth round (107th overall). The 49ers expect him to play early on as Eric Heitmann
's backup. 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
, when asked about Wallace's selection, commented: "Not necessarily that we need a center, but we wanted the best player on the board and because of the flexibility of the other guys, it doesn’t hurt us to take a center. As a matter of fact it helps us in getting a better offensive line. We coached him at the Senior Bowl
. We really liked him. We were pleased he was there at our fourth pick, and we got him." He signed a four-year contract with the team on July 23.
Wallace was declared inactive in all 16 games of his rookie season. He played in one game during the 2009 season.
Wallace was cut by the 49ers prior to the 2010 season.
practice squad. Wallace was cut on September 3 2011 by the Texans. He was signed to the practice squad on September 22.
and a ruptured esophagus
, both caused by alcoholism
. His mother died of an unknown illness when he was 16, and was unable to take care of her two children many years before that. To feel his mother's presence, he wears her stud earrings. His older brother by two-and-a-half years has served four years in prison for drug charges. Wallace stated: "Going through so much at a young age, it seems like I can handle more difficult situations maybe easier than most people. I just kind of look at everything in a little bigger picture." Since-fired 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
compared Wallace to former 49ers center Jeremy Newberry
as "a no-nonsense guy when it comes to football."
He received his bachelor's degree
in sport management
from Texas A&M in May 2007, prior to his senior season. He worked on a master's degree
his senior season.
On May 22, 2010, Wallace married his longtime girlfriend, Chely Marie George.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the fourth round of the 2008 NFL Draft
2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
.
Wallace has also been a member of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Early years
Wallace attended Class 3A Cuero High SchoolCuero High School
Cuero High School is a 3A high school located in Cuero, Texas . It is part of the Cuero Independent School District located in DeWitt County.-Athletics:The Cuero Gobblers compete in the following sports:...
, where he earned all-state honors as an offensive lineman. He played center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
, offensive guard, and offensive tackle at Cuero. As a junior and senior, he made over 100 pancake blocks. On the defensive line as a senior, he posted 45 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
. He also advanced to the powerlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
state meet.
As a college prospect in high school, he was rated 3 stars by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, ranked 16th in the 2003 offensive guard prospect class, and ranked 42nd out of all 2003 Texas high school prospects. He was recruited by Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, and Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
. He chose to sign a National Letter of Intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...
with Texas A&M under head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Franchione
Dennis Wayne Franchione , also known as Coach Fran, is an American football coach. He is currently the head football coach at Texas State University, a position he held from 1990 to 1991, when the school was known as Southwest Texas State University, and resumed in 2011...
.
College career
Wallace redshirtedRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
his first season. In his freshman (2004) season, he played in five games and was listed second at strong guard on the depth chart
Depth chart
In sports, a depth chart is used to show the placements of the starting players and the secondary players. Generally a starting player will be listed first or on top while a back-up will be listed below...
.
As a sophomore, Wallace started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in all 11 games as a center. He helped the team compile an average of 442.3 yards of total offense
Total offense
Total offense is an American football and Canadian football statistic representing the total number of yards rushing and yards passing by a team or player...
per game, which is the second best in team history. The team also rushed for 234.9 yards per game, which was A&M's best rushing
Rush (American football)
Rushing has two different meanings in gridiron football .-Offense:The first is an action taken by the offensive team that means to advance the ball by running, as opposed to passing. A run is technically any play that does not involve a forward pass...
record since 1991. He received SBC All-Big 12 honorable mention honors after the season.
Wallace continued to start as center in all 13 games during his junior season
2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team
The 2006 Texas A&M Aggies football team completed the season with a 9-4 record. The Aggies had a regular season Big 12 record of 5-3.-Schedule:-Roster:-The Citadel:-Louisiana-Lafayette:-Army:-Louisiana Tech:...
, helping the team produce 397.4 offensive yards per game, including a Big 12 record 206.8 rushing yards per game. The team also led the Big 12 in time of possession, third down conversion percentage, and the least number of turnovers. The offensive line allowed only 1.5 quarterback sacks per game. For his efforts, he was named to the AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
All-Big 12 Football Second Team.
Prior to his senior season, he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Football Team. After the regular season in his senior year, he was named to the All-Big 12 Football First Team, and was awarded by the Big 12 coaches (who are not allowed to vote for their own players) as the co-offensive lineman of the year. He was also named a Rimington Trophy finalist.
Awards and honors
- 2005 All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
- 2006, 2007 Team captain
- 2006 All-Big 12 Second Team
- 2006 ESPN The MagazineESPN The MagazineESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
/CoSIDA Academic All-District first team - 2007 Rimington Trophy finalist
- 2007 Draddy TrophyDraddy TrophyThe William V. Campbell trophy, formerly the Vincent dePaul Draddy Trophy, is a trophy awarded by the National Football Foundation that is given to the American college football player with the best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance...
semifinalist - 2007 Preseason All-Big 12 Team
- 2007 Member of the Leadership Council
- 2007 Big 12 co-Offensive Lineman of the Year
- 2007 PlayboyPlayboyPlayboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
All-American - 2007 ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Academic All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
Second Team - 2007 ESPN All-Big 12 Second Team
Pre-draft
At the 2008 NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, Wallace ran a 5.30 40 yard dash
40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
and made 26 repetitions on the 225-lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
.
San Francisco 49ers
In the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
in the fourth round (107th overall). The 49ers expect him to play early on as Eric Heitmann
Eric Heitmann
Eric Wade Heitmann is a center who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the 49ers in the 7th round of the 2002 NFL Draft.-College career:...
's backup. 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan is an American football coach and the current defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins...
, when asked about Wallace's selection, commented: "Not necessarily that we need a center, but we wanted the best player on the board and because of the flexibility of the other guys, it doesn’t hurt us to take a center. As a matter of fact it helps us in getting a better offensive line. We coached him at the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
. We really liked him. We were pleased he was there at our fourth pick, and we got him." He signed a four-year contract with the team on July 23.
Wallace was declared inactive in all 16 games of his rookie season. He played in one game during the 2009 season.
Wallace was cut by the 49ers prior to the 2010 season.
Detroit Lions
On September 22, 2010, Wallace signed into the Detroit Lions' practice squad. The Lions released Wallace from their practice squad on October 3, 2010.Second stint with the Lions
The Lions signed Wallace off New York's practice squad and to their active roster on October 20, 2010.Houston Texans
After Wallace was cut from the Lions roster for the second time, he was signed to the Houston TexansHouston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad. Wallace was cut on September 3 2011 by the Texans. He was signed to the practice squad on September 22.
Personal
Wallace was raised by his paternal grandparents, since both his parents died when he was young. When he was 8, his father, aged 43, died in prison—which he was in for charges that include theft—due to liver failureLiver failure
Acute liver failure is the appearance of severe complications rapidly after the first signs of liver disease , and indicates that the liver has sustained severe damage . The complications are hepatic encephalopathy and impaired protein synthesis...
and a ruptured esophagus
Esophagus
The esophagus is an organ in vertebrates which consists of a muscular tube through which food passes from the pharynx to the stomach. During swallowing, food passes from the mouth through the pharynx into the esophagus and travels via peristalsis to the stomach...
, both caused by alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. His mother died of an unknown illness when he was 16, and was unable to take care of her two children many years before that. To feel his mother's presence, he wears her stud earrings. His older brother by two-and-a-half years has served four years in prison for drug charges. Wallace stated: "Going through so much at a young age, it seems like I can handle more difficult situations maybe easier than most people. I just kind of look at everything in a little bigger picture." Since-fired 49ers head coach Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan is an American football coach and the current defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins...
compared Wallace to former 49ers center Jeremy Newberry
Jeremy Newberry
Jeremy David Newberry is a former Center in the National Football League . He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
as "a no-nonsense guy when it comes to football."
He received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in sport management
Sport management
Sport management is a field of education and vocation concerning the business aspect of sport. Some examples of sport managers include the front office system in professional sports, college sports managers, recreational sport managers, sports marketing, event management, facility management,...
from Texas A&M in May 2007, prior to his senior season. He worked on a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
his senior season.
On May 22, 2010, Wallace married his longtime girlfriend, Chely Marie George.