Wallace can begin his countdown to MIT

Football may not be rocket science, but the two are clearly intertwined for Fremd senior Justin Wallace.

Since he was in grade school, Wallace's two fields of dreams have been football and space travel. He laughed about making his mom's life easier during a stretch of three to four years when he dressed up as an astronaut for Halloween.

And when Wallace dressed up in a football uniform, he made life easier for his coaches by finding open spaces and closing them up on the field.

This year it led to Daily Herald All-Area honors as he rushed for 1,551 yards and 13 touchdowns. The two-year defensive starter played a pivotal role in leading the Vikings to their 16th straight playoff berth and eighth consecutive Mid-Suburban West title.

So, Wallace needed to find a place where his favorite worlds didn't collide and he had to leave one behind. He found one of the world's most renowned institutions, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was the right combination.

"It was such a good fit - and it made that decision that much easier," said Wallace, who also received interest from Ivy League schools. "I thought about (a bigger school) but realistically, the education is the most important thing. An opportunity to play at MIT, I couldn't pass it up."

MIT may not be a Division III football powerhouse as it's coming off consecutive 1-win seasons.

When it comes to aerospace engineering it's the equivalent of the undisputed national champion. The program is ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

For Wallace, who has seen his dream of flying in rockets change to building them, it's a ranking that carries significant weight.

"Engineering and space has always been of interest to me," Wallace said. "When I was younger I fell in love with space and becoming an astronaut.

"After taking physics classes, I found I love taking things apart and seeing how things work, too."

Wallace's work in the classroom shows how important that is to him. He has a 4.73 grade-point average and has scores of 32 on the ACT and 800 on the math and physics portions of the SAT.

But football still matters, too. Especially after a season where Wallace was at his peak during Fremd's late-season drive to the second round of the postseason.

"When I was looking into it one of the definite criteria was I wanted to continue playing football," Wallace said. "After talking to the MIT coaches it all came together perfectly."

So, maybe the Engineers a perfect nickname aren't the perfect football program. But Wallace said he could get a chance right away at running back to help turn that around and possibly instill some of the winning tradition he was part of at Fremd.

And in a few years, Wallace wants to be part of this country's tradition as the world's leader in space travel.

"The most important thing has always been grades," said Wallace, who also runs track for Fremd. "Sports are just a bonus."

Which shows rocket science and football can go together.

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com