Russell Wilson: Regardless of size, ‘I want to be able to change the game’

Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs the ball against Denver Broncos defensive end Robert Ayers (91) during the first half in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Wilson has had a busy offseason since winning the Super Bowl on Feb. 2. But it seems like football and the logistics behind the game are always on his mind.

On Tuesday morning, he stopped by NBC’s “Morning Joe” show and talked about the Seahawks formula for success and how he has overcome obstacles regarding his size.

“I want to be able to change the game,” Wilson said. “It doesn’t matter if I’m 5-11, 6-2, or 6-6.”

Wilson has been asked many times if his height has been a challenge in the NFL, but he has always seemed to answer the question without acting tired of it and on Tuesday morning he added some humor as well.

“It’s not challenging for me, I’ve been 5-11 for the past 10 years.” Wilson joked. “I’ve been a legal midget for a while.”

Wilson slipped to the third round of the 2012 draft before being picked up by Seattle. Many speculate that had he been a couple of inches taller, he may have been considered one of the top quarterbacks in a draft class that included Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

But the NFL learned a valuable lesson in thinking that size is all that makes a quarterback.

“If you can play, you can play,” Wilson said.

As many teams learned, Wilson can play.

He has thrown for 6,475 yards and 52 touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons. He has only lost one game at CenturyLink Field and he led the Seahawks to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win earlier this month.

But Wilson knows there is always room to improve and never time to sit back and relax. If he had it his way, he would spend 365 days in a given year watching film.

“I think the biggest thing, especially being in my second year, is that I’m still learning,” said Wilson. “I’m in a constant quest for knowledge and I’m always trying to learn as much as I can and enjoy the game and play the game the right way and be consistent on a regular basis.”

A great player on the field and an even better person off of it, Russell Wilson is all any team could ask for. Hopefully the NFL learned a thing or two about judging a book by its cover.