Media members snubbed K’Von Wallace from receiving All-ACC honors at the ACC Football Kickoff last month, despite the fact the senior safety received honorable mention All-ACC honors last season.

Last year, Wallace recorded 55 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss, seven pass breakups and an interception after starting every game on the way to the Tigers’ national championship win.

Wallace usually doesn’t pay too much attention to preseason honors, but will not be stopped in 2019 as he looks to leave his mark on the Clemson program for years to come.

“I’m locked in doing what I’ve got to do to lead this team and be the best defense in the country,” Wallace told the media after the first scrimmage of fall camp Saturday at Memorial Stadium. “I want to leave a legacy so that the safeties behind me can be ten times better than me and be the preseason All-Americans that become All-Americans.”

There are plenty of young safeties in the unit to glean from Wallace’s experience with highly touted freshmen Jalyn Phillips, Ray Thornton, Joseph Charleston and Lannden Zanders.

Head coach Dabo Swinney has told the media this is one of the best secondary units in his coaching career and Wallace has and will continue to be a big part of the defense’s success. While Wallace hasn’t put a lot of stock in the preseason lists, he has goals in mind for this upcoming year.

“I don’t look at last year’s stats because it’s about this year and there is nothing that can stop me from being an All-American this year or to keep me from what God has for me and being a top-10 safety in the draft or whatever else is going to come,” Wallace said.

Wallace pulled a play out of Swinney’s book asking if the team ranked number one in 2018 (Alabama) went on to win the national title. The senior wants to go out with a bang and is fully committed to showing everybody what he is capable of as a leader.

“I believe in my performance and I believe in myself. If I do what I have to do and lead my team to victory everything else is going to come,” Wallace said.

While Wallace is ambitious, it’s all about the team in his eyes. The key to success for Wallace is putting his team in the best position to win games and continue competing at the highest level.

“That’s what I live for and I’m a team guy first, it’s not about me,” Wallace said. “Coming in as a freshman and playing, it was never about me just what can I do to get the next man better than me.”