College Football Playoff

Wesley Walls was an All-American tight end as a senior at the University of Mississippi in 1988 after excelling as a linebacker and defensive end his first three seasons in Oxford. For his outstanding play at Ole Miss, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft, Walls' rookie season ended with a Super Bowl XXIV victory over the Denver Broncos. He spent the 1994-95 seasons with the New Orleans Saints before joining the Carolina Panthers in 1996. Over seven seasons in Carolina, Walls became the franchise's all-time leader in touchdowns for a tight end, earning five Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro honors along the way. Walls spent the 2003 season with the Green Bay Packers and finished his 15-season career with 450 receptions, 5,291 receiving yards, and 54 touchdowns. In 2019, the Carolina Panthers inducted Walls into the team's Hall of Honor.

Post-retirement, Walls has been involved in business ventures and charitable work in the Charlotte community and his home state of Mississippi, cementing his legacy both on and off the field. An academic All-American, Walls earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the University of Mississippi.