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But he struggled late in the season. In fact, Wallace did not have a 100-yard game after Oct. 23 and did not have a touchdown in seven of his final eight games, including a three-catch, 26-yard performance in a 29-23 overtime playoff loss to Denver.
"I want the player here," Tomlin said. "One thing experience has taught me is this is bigger than all of us. It's bigger than Mike, it's bigger than me. So I mean that when I say it's unfortunate for him that he's not here."
Wallace wasn't the only player on the roster who did not take part in the annual camp-opening conditioning test on Chuck Noll Field. Among the group not participating were six players added to the physically unable to perform list: Linebackers James Harrison and Jason Worilds, tackle Max Starks, running back Rashard Mendenhall, nose tackle Casey Hampton and reserve safety Damon Cromartie-Smith.
Tomlin said Harrison's back has fully recovered after surgery last year, but that a knee injury is limiting him now.
"We don't want to take any steps backward," Tomlin said. "James has had a good offseason. We just want to make certain as we move forward."
Mendenhall, Starks and Hampton each sustained torn knee ligaments late last season. Mendenhall's came in the regular-season finale, and Starks and Hampton were injured during the playoff loss.
Starks became a free agent and was signed last week to compete with rookie Mike Adams for the starting left tackle job.
Worilds had offseason wrist surgery.
"In many instances, these might be viewed as precautionary measures," Tomlin said. "Some of these guys that are getting close to coming off of injury, we want to get them in this setting, look at them, work them out, be certain that it's something that's behind us before we progress."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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