Russell Wilson's stay as an NFL quarterback is far from over. But the wheels that got him there have been in motion for generations. Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote a dazzling piece on the history of Russell Wilson's family, and how their journey and belief in education made Wilson's success an inevitability.
The Wilson family tells the story of America, from Russell's great-great-grandfather's release from slavery to the quarterback's father, who played football at Dartmouth. Phillips hits hard how valuable education has been to the Wilson clan, even providing an anecdote about Russell's father telling the high school football coach that his son was there to learn and that football should come second. The elder Wilson earned a law degree from the University of Virigina, and wasn't going to let his son get caught up in the pressure-packed world of athletics
The former Wisconson Badger and former two-sport prospect has found success in the NFL, leading the Seahawks to a 4-2 record in his first season. The Seahawks drafted Wilson in the third round with the 75th overall pick, a pick that looks more like a steal with every game he plays.