Jonathan Wallace has seen it all during his time on the Plains.
From starting quarterback on a 3-9 team in 2012 to a backup on an SEC championship team, Wallace has moved down the line of scrimmage and become a wide receiver in his final year.
“It was really a personal decision for me,” Wallace said. “[I’m] just really wanting to make the best out of this last year and try to find a way that I can contribute to this team somehow on the field.”
Wallace said his journey with Auburn has given him the desire to help out in any way he can.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” Wallace said, “I just want to be able to produce for this team and make the best of this last year.”
When Wallace first arrived, he found himself in the midst of battle for the starting job, which eventually went to highly-touted recruit Kiehl Frazier.
When Frazier didn’t work out, then-coach Gene Chizik turned to Wallace.
All in all, three different quarterbacks would start games for the Tigers that fall.
The following year, Wallace again found himself in a battle for the reins, and again it went to someone else. This time it was Nick Marshall, and that one stuck.
Wallace added his journey through Auburn, though tumultuous, has helped to make him the person he is today.
“It’s definitely developed me a lot as a young man,” Wallace said. “Through those hard times, I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself, and I’ve definitely been able to find out how to push through hard time, adversity and trials and tribulations. I’ve been able to find out how to work through those hard times, even though things aren’t going my way, and it’s definitely been a learning experience. The way I sum it up is — it’s just life.”
Another former Auburn quarterback went through a similar challenge.
Kodi Burns was a starting quarterback in 2008 and 2009, but was also eventually moved to wide receiver, where he caught a touchdown from Cam Newton in Auburn’s 22-19 victory over Oregon in the 2010 BCS Championship Game, and threw one to him against Ole Miss that same season.
“I’ve reached out to Kodi,” Wallace said. “He always taught me to stay ready and do what’s best for me. I really appreciate people like Kodi, people of high character, who went through the same thing. But he never told me that I should lash out or be angry, but he told me to embrace it and make the best of this move, so that’s what I’ve done.”
When the Auburn journey ends for Wallace, he hopes to move the next level of football, but, if that doesn’t work out, he has a backup plan he hopes will keep him around football for a long time.
“Hopefully the NFL,” Wallace said. “That’s still a dream for me. I’m trying to take advantage of everything I have in this last year, and, if not that, I want to coach. That’s something that I’ve always wanted to do ever since I started playing this game.”
Even with those plans in mind, Wallace said what matters now is the Tigers in 2015.
“The focus right now is this team and what I’m doing in this year,” Wallace said. “That’s down the road, of course, but the focus right now is this team and what we’re going to do this year.”
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