NFL PLAYER NEWS

SB XLIX: Motivated Wilson continues to set bar high

Derek Harper

January 28, 2015 at 4:54 pm.

Seahawks QB Russell Wilson is hungry for another title. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

PHOENIX — The delivery of the message can get a bit nauseating to some, but the track record thus far is undeniable.

On Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will attempt to win his second Super Bowl title in just three NFL seasons. As a rookie, he led the Seahawks to the brink of an NFC Championship Game appearance before a late defensive breakdown.

Pretty heady stuff for a 5-foot-11 third-round draft pick who entered his first training camp third on the depth chart.

“I visualize success every day,” Wilson said Wednesday, although it’s a quote that could be pulled from most any press conference he has held over the past three seasons.

There is an impressive cupboard about Wilson that is unique, intangible traits that have led him to the precipice of what could prove to be a truly extraordinary NFL career when all is said and done.

Great athlete. Unquestioned leader. Well-spoken motivator who visits terminally ill children every week and speaks eloquently about his faith.

The package is squeaky clean — put it into the “almost too good to be true” category. Even his divorce last offseason did not cause much of a stir despite his strong religious beliefs — speaking to the respect he is given by the media at such an early stage of his career, and perhaps as equally to Seattle’s geographic isolation outside of Super Bowl week.

At the same time, there is a distinct persona that is being crafted. A charismatic, passionate football player who is also working on a well-tailored image?

Speaking at the team’s headquarters at the Arizona Grand resort Wednesday, Wilson paused mid-sentence when he mentioned the “football league” in an answer. He paused, rewound the answer and corrected it to “the National Football League” before moving on.

The oversight of a singular mention the NFL brand name clearly did not sit well in Wilson’s mind.

We’re not suggesting it was an image play, although Wilson does have a penchant for turning questions about most any subject into an opportunity to explain how humble, grateful and blessed he is.

Can’t argue about the content of the message. If Marshawn Lynch could spit out cliches with such an easy delivery, the NFL would take its hand off the big red easy fine button.

More to the point, it’s Wilson’s attention to detail and the true love of the game that oozes from his every word. It’s what gets his teammates to keep fighting when down two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game, even if they’re not scheduling offseason vacations together.

“I said it our rookie year. It already felt like he’s been in the league for 13 years or so, just how he handles himself and his maturity,” said Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse. “It’s a lot of fun, just his ability to extend plays. He’s a playmaker. He’s a great leader out there, and it’s fun to play for guys like that.”

Wilson admires counterpart Tom Brady, and envisions a 20-year NFL career that helps him use football as a conduit to help others. He famously greets head coach Pete Carroll at the team’s facility the day after a loss to review film. The work ethic is what separates Wilson, and why he’s the exception to the rule when it comes to sub-six-foot quarterbacks realizing great success in the NFL.

“It is so much fun,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said of working with Wilson. “Not only because of the skill set that he has and what he is able to bring, but because of who he is. He is a great guy to be around each and every day. He is such a hard worker and it is important to him. He wants to be the best who has ever done it, and he doesn’t just say it. He goes about it in his everyday preparations to be able to make that happen.”

Johnny Manziel he is not. There are no selfies in Vegas. No altercations with possies. A game-winning touchdown throw in overtime to reach the Super Bowl elicited true tears rather than gestures of money signs.

A friend of mine in the Seattle area has had the opportunity to work with Wilson in a marketing capacity. His takeaway was a genuine individual who is absolutely focused on the task at hand in that exact moment — an almost eerie ability to compartmentalize.

On Sunday, Wilson will identify a spot inside of the University of Phoenix Stadium that he can focus on to “bring him back to zero” during the game. He has one in every stadium that Wilson goes to when he needs to re-set. It’s all part of the plan.

“He never doubts. He has no doubt,” said Kearse. “He leaves it all out on the field, and it’s hard not to follow that. You see him on the sideline. He’s always trying to keep everybody into it. He’s a guy you just want to follow him and play for.”

Whether the delivery of the message gets tiring to you or not, it’s difficult to put a dent in the veneer. Wilson is quick to speak to the leadership of his teammates, to the motivation of head coach Pete Carroll and still finishes every press session with a “Go Hawks,” which only continues to bolster his growing legend with the 12th Man.

But most important, he wins.

It’s the ultimate trump card. It stands above 5-10. It quiets unnamed teammates claiming he’s not “black enough.” And it certainly forgives milquetoast press conferences.

“I don’t know exactly how you are going to be able to rank him,” said Bevell. “Where people will put him when the history books are written. But the bottom line is winning games, and that is what Russell does. At this point in time he is the winningest quarterback in the history of the league and if he is able to add Super Bowls he is going to have to be in that conversation.”

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