Russell Carrington Wilson (born November 29, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson has been regarded as one of the greatest dual-threat quarterbacks of all time. Wilson played college football and baseball at NC State from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2011, where he set the single-season FBS record for passer rating and led them to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl. He also played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman.
Russell Wilson Facts
- Born: November 29, 1988 (age 35) Cincinnati, Ohio, US
- Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
- Weight: 215 lb (98 kg)
- High School: Collegiate School
- Career history: Seattle Seahawks (2012-2021), Denver Broncos (2022-present)
- Awards: NFL Passer Rating Leader (2015), NFL Passing Touchdown Leader (2017), Bart Starr Award (2022)
Russell Wilson Early life and background
Wilson was born at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia. His parents are Harrison Benjamin Wilson III, a lawyer, and Tammy Wilson (née Turner), a nurse director.He has an older brother, Harrison IV, and a younger sister, Anna.[19] Wilson started playing football with his father and brother at the age of four, and played his first organized game for the Tuckahoe Tomahawks youth football team in sixth grade.
Wilson’s great-great-grandfather was enslaved to a Confederate colonel and was freed after the American Civil War.Wilson’s paternal grandfather, Harrison B. Wilson Jr., was a former president of Norfolk State University who played football and basketball at Kentucky State University, and his paternal grandmother, Anna W. Wilson, was on the faculty at Jackson State University. Wilson’s maternal grandfather was noted painter A. B. Jackson.According to genetic admixture analysis, Wilson is 62% African, 36% European, 1% West Asian, and 1% Central Asian.His European family lineage has been traced back to 524 A.D. to Saint Arnulf of Metz via Charlemagne. Wilson also claims to have some Native American ancestry, although he did not explicitly say which tribe he came from.
Wilson’s father played football and baseball at Dartmouth and was a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers preseason squad in 1980. Wilson’s brother, Harry, played football and baseball at the University of Richmond, and his sister Wilson Anna played basketball at Stanford.
Wilson’s father died of complications from diabetes on June 9, 2010, at age 55,the day after Wilson was drafted by the Rockies
Russell Wilson High school career
Wilson attended Collegiate School, a preparatory school in Richmond, Virginia.As a junior in 2005, he threw for 3,287 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns and rushed for 634 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.He was named an all-district, all-region, and all-state player. Wilson was twice named the Wilson Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year.
As a senior, he threw for 3,009 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, and seven interceptions. In addition, he rushed for 1,132 yards and 18 touchdowns.That year, he was named an all-conference and all-state player as well as conference player of the year. He was featured in Sports Illustrated for his performance in the state championship game win. Wilson also served as his senior class president.
During his time in high school, Wilson attended the Manning Passing Academy, a summer football clinic run by multiple NFL MVP winner and eventual Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Due to this encounter, Manning recognized Wilson many years later when the latter had flown to Denver to discuss the prospect of getting drafted by the Denver Broncos, where Manning had recently signed
Russell Wilson Professional football career
Wilson On January 16, 2012, Wilson began training for the NFL Scouting Combine at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Florida.Prior to the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson had been projected by NFL scouts and analysts to be a middle-round pick. In February 2012, former NFL quarterback and director of the IMG Madden Football Academy Chris Weinke said of Wilson, “If he was 6–5, he’d probably be the No. 1 pick in the draft.”On April 11, 2012, ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden said, “The only issue with Russell Wilson is his height. Wilson That might be the reason he’s not picked in the first couple rounds.”
Russell Wilson College football career
Wilson redshirted during the 2007 season at NC State.In 2008, Wilson initially split time at quarterback with senior Daniel Evans and junior Harrison Beck. However, Evans and Beck saw no regular season action after Week 2 and Week 5, respectively. Thereafter, Wilson led the team to a 4–3 record in the regular season which NC State finished out on a four-game winning streak.During a 30–24 win over East Carolina, Wilson threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns.Wilson He threw for two touchdowns in each of the last six games in the regular season.
In the 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl against Rutgers, Wilson threw for 186 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 46 yards before halftime. Late in the first half, he scrambled to the Rutgers’ four-yard line, where he was tackled and suffered a knee sprain. With Wilson sitting out the remainder of the game, his replacements threw a combined total of three interceptions with NC State, eventually losing 29–23. Over the course of the season, he completed 150 of 275 attempts for 1,955 yards and 17 touchdowns with just one interception. He also recorded 116 carries for 394 yards and four touchdowns. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) named him the first-team All-ACC quarterback. It was the first time in conference history Wilson that a freshman quarterback was named to the first team.
Wilson Prior to the 2009 season, Wilson was named quarterback of the pre-season all-ACC football team on July 12. On September 19, Wilson broke Andre Woodson’s all-time NCAA record of 325 consecutive pass attempts without an interception against Gardner–Webb. The 379-pass streak ended in a game against Wake Forest on October 3.Wilson held the record until November 10, 2012, when it was broken by Louisiana Tech quarterback Colby Cameron. Wilson was named honorable mention All-ACC in 2009.Wilson finished the 2009 regular season with 3,027 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions as the team finished with a 5–7 record.
Wilson led the 2010 Wolfpack to a 9–4 season that included a 23–7 win over West Virginia in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl.He led the ACC in passing yards per game (274.1) and total offensive yards per game (307.5).He was named second-team All-ACC and runner-up for ACC Football Player of the Year.Wilson In May 2010, Wilson graduated from NC State in three years with a BA in communication, and took graduate-level business courses in the fall semester during the 2010 football season.