Levi Wallace played cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2022 NFL season even though he was stricken by Bell’s palsy during the campaign, adding another layer of evidence testifying to his ability to overcome obstacles on the football field.

When the former Alabama defensive back awoke on Oct. 29, the left side of his face seemed frozen. Among the problems, Wallace couldn’t close his left eye.

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The Steelers’ medical staff diagnosed Wallace as suffering from Bell’s palsy, a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness to one side of the face.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says Bell’s palsy “results from dysfunction of cranial nerve VII, which connects your brain to the muscles that control facial expression.”

It can be accompanied by abnormal facial sensations, excessive tearing, problems with taste, sensitivity to loud noises, pain around the jaw and behind the ear and difficulty in eating or drinking.

Recovery usually follows within a few weeks to six months, although facial weakness can be permanent in some cases.

Pittsburgh played the Philadelphia Eagles the day after Wallace was stricken. A shoulder injury already had him sidelined for that game, and the Steelers’ open date followed on the next Sunday.

When Pittsburgh played the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 13, Wallace was on the field for every defensive snap and wrapped up the 20-10 victory with an interception with 4:23 to play.

Wallace’s only concession to his ailment was a dark visor for his eye.

“It was a challenge,” Wallace told Teresa Varley of the Steelers’ official website this week. “It just took some getting used to. But I never wanted it to be a crutch in my performance, so it was what it was. …

“Not too many people know I played with Bell’s palsy and was still recovering from it a little bit at the end of the season. It was definitely an interesting season. I knew it wasn’t more than I could handle, and I know that God was never going to give me more than what I could handle. Just a blessing to still be able to play with that impairment throughout the season.”

Wallace began his Alabama career as a walk-on and ended it as a starting cornerback for the Crimson Tide team that won the CFP national championship for the 2017 season.

Wallace began his NFL career as an undrafted rookie on the Buffalo practice squad, but he left the Bills having started all 57 games in which he played in his first four seasons.

“Doesn’t let adversity put him in the tank,” Steelers slot corner Arthur Maulet said of Wallace last season. “Always going to be a so-what, next-play type of guy. And that’s all you want at cornerback.”

Last offseason, Wallace joined the Steelers in free agency for a two-year, $8 million contract.

In his first season in Pittsburgh, Wallace had 48 tackles, four interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 15 games, including nine starts. Quarterbacks targeting Wallace posted a 73.0 passing-efficiency rating in 2022.

The Steelers lost Cameron Sutton in free agency when he signed with the Detroit Lions this week. Sutton was the only Pittsburgh cornerback who played more snaps than Wallace in 2022.

On the other side of free agency, the Steelers signed cornerback Patrick Peterson, a three-time All-Pro who’s entering his 13th NFL season.

Wallace said he’s looking forward to his second season in the AFC North.

“When I came in, I didn’t know how teams attack Pittsburgh in recent years and how I fit into that the scheme of things,” Wallace said. “Even coming to a different division where it’s super run heavy, you have way bigger backs and play smashmouth football. The AFC East is more spread out and an air attack, so a change for me. Lots of things I’ve got to focus on in terms of my development here in the AFC North.

“And now there’s tape on me out there. Teams aren’t going to be surprised, thinking I can’t catch or something or I don’t want to jump a route. I am just building off of that and showing where I can take my game to the next level and seeing how teams attacked me this year, how the AFC North saw me this year and moving forward in that aspect.”

The Steelers open their offseason program on April 17.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1