Trevin Wallace Delivered a Back-Breaking Touchdown to Florida, his Former "Dream School"
Trevin Wallace grew up hoping to play football for the Florida Gators. Saturday night the Kentucky Wildcat gave his former dream school nightmares.
The true freshman middle linebacker lined up about five yards off the line of scrimmage as a safety valve on Kentucky’s field goal block unit. When Josh Paschal got a hand on the third quarter Florida field goal attempt, the ball went right into Wallace’s hands.
“It’s time to go,” he told himself.
Just like that, he was gone.
Wallace, a high school running back and track star, sprinted 76 yards down the field for a touchdown. The improbable score gave Kentucky a 13-10 lead and completely shifted the momentum back to the home team.
Dream School No More, Wallace’s Decision is Validated
Trevin Wallace was a Top 50 recruit in the class of 2021. Expected to sign with Auburn in the Early Signing Period, his recruitment changed when Gus Malzahn was fired just days before putting pen to paper. Kentucky linebackers coach Jon Sumrall never relented, ultimately securing a signature from Wallace on National Signing Day in February.
“It was real hard coming far away from home,” he said. “My parents felt comfortable with Kentucky, and if they’re comfortable, I’m comfortable.”
Kentucky was there throughout his recruitment, while Florida was nowhere to be found. Tonight confirmed that Wallace made the right decision.
“It validated my decision. It’s crazy. Florida was my dream school. Just to play against them in this environment — it felt real good playing against your dream school and coming out with a win.”
Playing Through Nerves
Wallace did not hesitate when the ball fell in his hands, but that doesn’t mean he did not feel like a true freshman at times. When the crowd made Kroger Field bounce after his score, time stood still.
“I ain’t gonna lie, I was nervous. I was real nervous. Just seeing that, I’m not used to that environment,” he said. “My head was going everywhere.”
Wallace wasn’t just used sparingly on special teams. The true freshman received significant snaps down the stretch — including the final play of the game — as the defense labored, ultimately limiting Florida to just 13 points on 71 snaps.
“Actually, I was nervous,” he admitted. “They’re putting a freshman in a big game a lot? That means they trust me a lot, so just put on your big boy pants and keep going.”
Wallace picked himself up by his big boy pants and recorded a couple of tackles in addition to his memorable touchdown. It’s one play Kentucky fans will not soon forget and one Florida fans wish would have never happened.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard