Written by Bailey Coffman // Photo by Macy Cox
Nate Wallace, defensive end for Harding University and 2023 Great American Conference Defensive Player of the Year, has recently made the decision to declare for the NFL draft. He made the announcement Feb. 13 via Instagram. This milestone follows Harding’s recent National Championship title and will open the door for potential recruitment by several NFL teams.
In March, Harding will host a pro day, where Wallace will perform for NFL evaluators.
Senior defensive lineman Dreydon Hall, a teammate of Wallace, expressed his appreciation for Wallace as a motivator of his own success.
“I’ve been looking up to Nate since I first got here in the fall of 2020, just the kind of man he is and the type of competitor he is,” Hall said. “I worked hard because I knew he was also working, and I give him credit for a lot of my success because I wanted to be better than he was. I believe that him having the opportunity to go through this process of getting to the NFL is a direct correlation to the commitment that he had while he was here.”
Senior running back Blake Delacruz highlighted the refining work ethic of his fellow teammates and the intentionality of the Harding coaching staff in not only pushing them as players but as people.
“Harding has pushed me to be the best version of myself on and off the field,” Delacruz said. “The coaches have made me a better person by the way they lead us and their families, and I am just very blessed to be a part of a program like it. My teammates make it easy for me to work as hard as I can, and they are some of the best guys I know. They give it their all each and every day, whether that’s on the field or in the weight room or the classroom, they are always trying to get better, so it’s very easy for me to give my best in everything that I do. And Nate, I know no matter what challenges he faces, he’s going to attack them head on.”
Also on the defensive line, senior Wes Coleman described the Harding football program as a brotherhood that will continue after graduation.
“Our coaches use a level of passion and intentionality that gives us no choice but to get better and be the best version of ourselves come gameday,” Coleman said. “This also creates an environment that feels like a family. This makes all the hard things that help you grow as a player become easy, because you know you have brothers to go through it with you. As for Nate, I’m confident that he will take this opportunity and shock the world with his great performance.”
As of press time, Wallace had not responded to an interview request from the Bison.
