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Mike Wallace vows to be "better" in Minnesota
Veteran WR making adjustments on and off the field
By: Antonio D'Arcangelis | Jul 28 2015, 2:48 pm
| Mike Wallace spent two controversial years with the Miami Dolphins, becoming the center of attention for what he often said, and often didn't say.
After signing a five-year, $60 million contract as a free agent in 2013, the wide receiver had a brief, turbulent Miami tenure that ended with him on the bench for the second half of last December's regular-season finale against the New York Jets.
In March, he was traded to the Vikings, who hope a change of scenery will lead to him being the player he was when starring for Pittsburgh from 2009-12.
Four months after the deal, Wallace says he has a better idea of what went wrong in Miami, where his production slipped significantly. On Day 2 of training camp Monday at Minnesota State Mankato, he said he's determined to turn it around in Minnesota.
"(I'm trying) my best to be a leader this year and do a much better job in that department than I have been before," Wallace said. "(I've got) to be a better person and a better player and lead more.
"You take experiences that you have in your life and just learn from them. Some are good and some are bad, but you have to build from it. I know some mistakes I made in Miami. I know some good things. So I try to leave the bad and take the good."
Wallace got a lot more publicity for the alleged bad things.
After he caught just one pass for 15 yards in his first game with the Dolphins, he was criticized for refusing to talk to reporters, even though Miami had beaten Cleveland 23-10.
Last season, after the Dolphins defeated Jacksonville 27-13, Wallace got heat for criticizing Miami's offense after a game his team won because of two defensive touchdowns.
And after what turned out to be Wallace's final game with the Dolphins, reports surfaced that he had declined to play in the second half of a 37-24 loss to the Jets. He claims he was benched by coach Joe Philbin.
Nevertheless, Wallace's behavior after the game was bizarre. He stood next to then-Dolphins wide receiver Brandon Gibson, who answered all the questions directed at Wallace.
"You get frustrated at times when things are not going your way. You're not winning, you're not doing the things you expect out of yourself, you're not meeting your goals, and you get frustrated," Wallace said. "And I have to do a better job of holding that frustration in sometimes. I work hard. If I'm not getting results, I want to get frustrated, but I have to do a better job of not showing it." (St. Paul Pioneer Press)
FFToday's Take: Wallace is a talented receiver several years removed from his fantasy peak (2010 in Pittsburgh). With his controversial time in Miami over, he'll look to reestablish himself as a viable fantasy WR2 for the Vikings.
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