By COREY VANNThe Dartmouth Staff
I hate the New England Patriots Tom Brady, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski every last one of them. As a Los Angeles native, I was raised on anti-Boston propaganda, mostly focusing on the Celtics (my family owns a custom-made dartboard with Red Auerbach's face as the background). Add that to my love for the Colts and Peyton Manning, and it's easy to see how I am not impressed by the Pats and Brady.
So there's no surprise here when I say that I love it when they lose. Especially when they are the favorites and blow a double-digit fourth-quarter lead, which is exactly what happened on the road against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
I forgot to mention that I also hate Pete Carroll (no, this is not "10 Things I Hate About You" (1999) the hating is now over). The guy is a winner, but the way he ran out on the University of Southern California after his alleged NCAA violations has always left a sour taste in my mouth. Yet on Sunday, I was right there with Carroll, jumping up and down when Russell Wilson connected with Sidney Rice on that 46-yard bomb to take the lead with 1:18 left on the clock.
Back to things I love Russell Wilson. And no, this is not just a fling because he orchestrated the Seahawks' comeback it's because of his story.
When the Seahawks drafted Wilson in the third round of this year's NFL Draft, I thought it was an absolute steal. While I didn't believe that Wilson was in the same tier as Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, there was no doubt in my mind he was superior to the likes of Brandon Weeden or Brock Osweiler, both of whom were drafted above of him. NFL scouts had reservations about Wilson, however, due to his size.
Weeden and Osweiler are 6'4" and 6'7", respectively. Wilson, on the other hand, is 5'11" with cleats on. That said, I just do not understand the myth of the short quarterback in the NFL. Scouts always say, "He won't be able to see over the line," or "He will hit his own lineman in the head with the ball."
I'm pretty sure Super Bowl winner Drew Brees (6'0" on a good day) can see his receivers pretty well. Just ask Dan Marino and Johnny Unitas (R.I.P.), who both just had historic passing records smashed by Brees.
For what Wilson lacks in stature, he more than makes up for with athleticism. If you're unfamiliar with Wilson's college career, he called the signals for North Carolina State University before he led the University of Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl last season. In between these stops, Wilson played two seasons of minor league baseball in the Colorado Rockies organization after he was selected in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
Wilson's quick feet sure have helped him out so far on Sundays, but the main reason he has led Seattle to a 4-2 record is his heart. I knew that Wilson was a dual-sport athlete when he was drafted, but I had no idea what he had been through in his life until I saw him in a Levi's commercial a couple of weeks ago.
The advertisement is a must-watch. Wilson tells the viewers how excited he was to go home on June 9, 2010, and tell his dad that he had just been drafted by the Rockies, only to find out that his father passed away that very night. Having gone through a similar experience in my own life, I was very moved by the commercial and immediately started Googling things like "Russell Wilson and his dad."
Turns out, Wilson's father, Harrison Wilson III '77, is one of our very own. Harrison played wide receiver for the Big Green on a team that was loaded with future NFL players. Linebacker Reggie Williams '76 played 14 seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals, while kicker Nick Lowery '78 ranks 11th all-time in the NFL in points scored.
In the Levi's ad, Russell talks about how his father helped shaped his life and taught him to live by the code of the "Three P's" perseverance, perspective and purpose. When you put these three things together, you get a player who refuses to lose and is defined by his toughness. I'm sure Russell would tell you that he gets that from his father.
Harrison played the last two games of his Dartmouth career with a separated shoulder, but the injury didn't stop Harrison from setting the school's single-season receptions record.
Wilson's amazing story sheds light on the truth that we all have something special inside of us. Maybe it won't be revealed on the football field, but it is definitely there. So continue to live like Russell and always persevere, always have a great perspective and always have great purpose in your life.
