Eric Wallace – a Winston-Salem native and avid Carolina Panthers supporter – has never witnessed game day at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

When Carolina hosts its first preseason game of the 2016 season on Aug. 26 against the New England Patriots, Wallace will experience his first game – on the field, as a member of the Panthers.

Wallace signed a three-year deal as a tight end with Carolina on Monday, bookmarking another page in the 27-year-old’s unorthodox professional journey.

This here is a dream. Panther fan since '95 and to be heading to training camp is surreal! Thank You @panthers for the opportunity and I hope to one day soon help Carolina in a tremendous way! #polymathicambitions #panthernation A photo posted by Eric Wallace™ (@beastewallace) on Jul 25, 2016 at 11:47am PDT

“Ever since the Panthers came into the league, I’ve been a fan ever since,” Wallace said. “To have a chance to work out for the coaches and have them sign me up, it was very surreal.

“It still hasn’t it me, but it will probably hit me when I get close to Wofford for training camp.”

As a 14-year-old, Wallace abandoned football to focus on basketball at Robert B. Glenn High School in Kernersville.

He averaged 22 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and two blocks per game as a junior, garnering an All-American mention, and transferred to Hargrave Military Academy as a senior, where he posted an average of 14 points and eight rebounds per contest.

Wallace said he received scholarship offers from several Atlantic Coast Conference schools, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University and Virginia.

He chose the Cavaliers initially, but had a change of heart and joined the Ohio State Buckeyes as a freshman.

Wallace’s college basketball career began in Columbus, Ohio, but he also made stops in Chicago, at DePaul University, and Seattle University.

After playing sparingly for Thad Matta at Ohio State, Wallace transferred to DePaul, where he would play only one full season due to a leg injury. Wallace averaged 6.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, one block and one steal per game in his sophomore season at DePaul; he missed the following season but earned his bachelors degree in the process.

Wallace’s basketball sojourn ended as a graduate student at Seattle University with the hopes of finding a spot on a European professional team afterward.

However, Wallace was recruited to attend a two-day combine in Los Angeles for the Australian Football League.

“With thousands of athletes leaving college looking to go to Europe or the NBA, it gave them another avenue to enter the AFL and try to play the craziest spot,” Wallace said. “ I was crazy enough to go to LA and see what it was about.”

Wallace was one of three Americans invited to Australia and later signed a two-year rookie deal with the North Melbourne Football Club.

After spending three seasons with the North Melbourne Kangaroos, Wallace returned to the United States with the goal of playing in the NFL.

Wallace said he spoke with several friends in November of 2015 who have played in the NFL, including former defensive end Simeon Rice, about if his goal was realistic.

“It was overwhelming support from many of my friends that have played in the league, know the game and the industry,” he said. “They said there’s a window there; it’s a slim window but to just attack it.”

At the advice of his peers, Wallace sought out opportunity to find a way into the NFL. With the help of his friends around the league, he was able to land an invite to rookie minicamp with the New Orleans Saints.

Wallace wasn’t offered a contract and continued his quest in Winston-Salem, attacking the gym and catching passes at Glenn High.

The Winston-Salem native eventually found his way to Proehlific Park last month, a training facility in Greensboro owned by Panthers wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl – a Wake Forest alumnus.

“I heard he was pretty hands-on at his facility. I went out of blind luck to try and catch him and basically say, ‘Hey, I want to play for the Panthers,’” Wallace said. “I went consistently for three or four days just to shake his hand, let him know I was there and who I am.”

Wallace was briefly star-struck when he met Proehl, a player he admired watching with Carolina and the St. Louis Rams.

“It was like, ‘Man, this is Ricky Proehl,’” he said.

Wallace said Proehl “chuckled” after explaining his background and his desire to play for the Panthers.

“He thought I was serious and gave me a workout the next day,” Wallace said. “He was impressed enough to call Carolina that day.”

The 6 foot 6, 260-pound tight end, who also goes by the nickname “Beast,” ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash during the workout with Proehl.

Wallace said he continued to train with Proehl at the facility following the initial workout and leading up to his workout with Carolina.

On Tuesday – one day removed from working out and signing a contract with Carolina – Wallace traveled to Spartanburg, where he will become fully immersed as a member of his childhood team.

Wallace said he has adopted a polymathic ambition due to the nature of his professional path and encourages kids and adults to think outside the box.

While pondering the idea of running out of the tunnel at Bank of America Stadium, Wallace was at a loss for words.

“For the potential to see the first game [at Bank of America Stadium] suited up would be unbelievable and a testament to, ‘Hey, think outside the box,” he said. “I started with basketball and then went to Australia and played Australian football – a foreign sport – and look where I am now.

“That would be something unbelievable.”

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