Russell Wilson is etching his name in the history books
Nov 17, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes against the Minnesota Vikings during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
When Russell Wilson entered the 2012 NFL Draft, he was met with criticism and skepticism alike.
In his NFL Draft Profile, he was given a grade of 68.5 and was overlooked because of his 5-foot-11, 204-pound frame.
His profile said:
"Wilson’s height will be his biggest inhibitor at the next level and the largest reason for his late-round value. It remains to be seen if he can throw effectively from the pocket at the next level."
Many teams saw little potential out of the Wisconsin quarterback. Luckily, the Seahawks did.
Wilson was drafted with the 12th pick in the third round (75th overall) and was named the starting quarterback of the team before the regular season started.
And he did not disappoint.
He led Seattle to an 11-5 record, a playoff berth and a playoff win on the road before Seattle’s season abruptly ended two games shy of the Super Bowl. Not bad for a guy who, just months earlier, was being analyzed for “whether or not he can see to make the throws at the next level.”
As a rookie, he compiled 3,118 passing yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 489 yards and four more TD’s.
This season, Wilson is even better. Polished and with an energized team, he has led the Seahawks to a 10-1 record heading into their bye week and has put his name in the history books, closer to accomplishing a rare feat.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Wilson is one of just five quarterbacks since 1966 to win at least 20 games in his first two seasons in the NFL.
He joins some impressive company, according to mynorthwest.com: Ben Roethlisberger (22), Dan Marino (21), Matt Ryan (20) and Joe Flacco (20) are the only other quarterbacks to reach that number.
Wilson, who has 21 career wins, has a chance to not only break the record, but to shatter it.
The Seahawks have five regular season games left: the New Orleans Saints (8-2), the San Francisco 49ers (6-4), the New York Giants (4-6), the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) and the St. Louis Rams (4-6). Three of those games are at CenturyLink Field, where Wilson has never lost as a starter.
Wilson needs to win just two of those five games to have the most wins by a starting quarterback in his first two seasons in the Super Bowl Era.
But Wilson doesn’t want to stop there. He wants to improve further and be “great one day”, according to this quote following Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Vikings via The News Tribune:
"Every day, my goal is ‘can I be better than I was yesterday?’ If I continue to have that mindset, to have a fresh mindset, that today’s a new beginning. I think that really helps me. There’s something that I’m always trying to work on in terms of my craft. To continue to elevate my game. Whether it’s scramble plays or whether it’s as simple as my footwork, whether it’s protection calls, whether if it’s the deep ball, whether it’s throwing the ball in the corners. All the different stuff that I work on on a daily basis, and I’m trying to improve my game on a daily basis, because I want to be great one day."
Wilson is well on his way.
In his career, he has completed 64.1 percent of his pass attempts (428-for-668) for 5,480 yards and 45 touchdowns while only throwing 16 interceptions, 10 of which came last year.
In his last three games, Wilson has completed at least 72 percent of his passes and he has thrown at least two touchdown passes in each of his last five games.
Additionally, he has led the Seahawks to back-to-back 10+ win seasons for the first time in franchise history. And, with a 10-1 record, the Seahawks are the only 10-win team in the NFL right now.
Wilson’s consistency and patience make him one of the most dynamic and successful young quarterbacks in the NFL right now.
He has already etched his name into one history book. Now it’s time to wait and see how many more need to be re-written.