Russell Carrington Wilson was born on November 29,1988 and is an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League.
126 Facts About Russell Wilson
2.
Russell Wilson previously played his first 10 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks.
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Russell Wilson played college football and baseball at NC State from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2011, where he set the single-season FBS record for passer rating and led them to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl.
4.
Russell Wilson played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011 as a second baseman.
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Russell Wilson tied Peyton Manning's then-record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie and was named Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year.
6.
Russell Wilson has been named to nine Pro Bowls and helped lead the Seahawks to two consecutive Super Bowls.
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Russell Wilson holds the record for most wins by an NFL quarterback through nine seasons and is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history with a career passer rating over 100.
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Russell Wilson is part owner of the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer.
9.
Russell Wilson was born at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, and grew up in Richmond, Virginia.
10.
Russell Wilson's parents are Harrison Benjamin Wilson III, a lawyer, and Tammy Wilson, a nurse director.
11.
Russell Wilson has an older brother, Harrison IV, and a younger sister, Anna.
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Russell Wilson started playing football with his father and brother at the age of four, and played his first organized game for the Tuckahoe Tomahawks youth football team in sixth grade.
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Russell Wilson's great-great-grandfather was a slave to a Confederate colonel and was freed after the American Civil War.
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Russell Wilson's father played football and baseball at Dartmouth and was a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers preseason squad in 1980.
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Russell Wilson's father died of complications from diabetes on June 9,2010, at age 55, the day after Russell Wilson was drafted by the Rockies.
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Russell Wilson attended Collegiate School, a preparatory school in Richmond, Virginia.
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Russell Wilson was named an all-district, all-region, and all-state player.
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Russell Wilson was twice named the Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year.
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Russell Wilson was featured in Sports Illustrated for his performance in the state championship game win.
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Russell Wilson was a member of the Collegiate School basketball and baseball teams.
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Russell Wilson committed to North Carolina State University on July 23,2006.
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Russell Wilson received a football scholarship offer from Duke University.
23.
Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns in each of the last six games in the regular season.
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Russell Wilson recorded 116 carries for 394 yards and four touchdowns.
25.
Russell Wilson held the record until November 10,2012, when it was broken by Louisiana Tech quarterback Colby Cameron.
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Russell Wilson led the ACC in passing yards per game and total offensive yards per game.
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Russell Wilson was named second-team All-ACC and runner-up for ACC Football Player of the Year.
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In May 2010, Russell Wilson graduated from NC State in three years with a BA in communication, and took graduate-level business courses in the fall semester during the 2010 football season.
29.
In January 2011, Russell Wilson announced that he would report to spring training with the Colorado Rockies organization.
30.
On June 27,2011, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said that Russell Wilson committed to Wisconsin for the 2011 season.
31.
Russell Wilson rushed for 62 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown run.
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Russell Wilson was efficient during the winning streak, passing for nine touchdowns to no interceptions while rushing for two touchdowns.
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Russell Wilson won the Griese-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year award.
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Russell Wilson finished the season with 33 passing touchdowns, which set the single season record at Wisconsin and was the second-most in Big Ten history behind Drew Brees during the 1998 season at Purdue.
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Russell Wilson set the single season FBS record for passing efficiency.
36.
On January 28,2012, Russell Wilson completed his college football career at the 2012 Senior Bowl.
37.
On January 16,2012, Russell Wilson began training for the NFL Scouting Combine at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
38.
Russell Wilson was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the sixth quarterback selected.
39.
Two weeks later, Russell Wilson signed a four-year, $2.99 million contract with the Seahawks on May 7,2012.
40.
Russell Wilson made his preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans on August 11,2012, and had his first preseason start on August 24 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
41.
Two days later on August 26,2012, Russell Wilson was named the starting quarterback for the first regular season game after competing with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson for the position.
42.
Russell Wilson had 18 completions on 34 passing attempts for 153 yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception.
43.
Russell Wilson finished the 2012 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in passer rating, beating the previous rookie record set by Ben Roethlisberger in 2004, since broken by Robert Griffin III in 2012 and Dak Prescott in 2016.
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Russell Wilson threw for 3,118 yards and 26 touchdowns, tying Peyton Manning's record for most touchdowns thrown by a rookie, and rushed for 489 yards and four touchdowns.
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Russell Wilson's scrambling mobility and ability to extend plays outside the pocket with his legs earned numerous comparisons to Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton.
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Russell Wilson was selected as an alternate for the 2013 Pro Bowl, filling in for Matt Ryan of Atlanta.
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Russell Wilson was ranked 51st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.
48.
Russell Wilson finished the season with 26 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, and a 101.2 passer rating, becoming the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to post a 100+ passer rating in each of his first two seasons.
49.
Russell Wilson was named to his second Pro Bowl on December 27,2013.
50.
Russell Wilson earned a bonus of $169,141.73 for the 2013 season through the NFL's Performance-Based Pay program.
51.
Russell Wilson was ranked 20th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.
52.
On October 6,2014, against the Washington Redskins, Russell Wilson set a new Monday Night Football record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a single game with 122.
53.
On December 21,2014, Russell Wilson went 20-of-31 and threw for a then-career-high 339 yards with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in a primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football.
54.
Russell Wilson led the offense in gaining 596 yards, setting a franchise record for most yards gained in a game.
55.
Russell Wilson led the Seahawks on an 80-yard drive that was capped by a 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Kearse.
56.
Russell Wilson would have been selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl, but did not play because the Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl; as Russell Wilson did not have a chance to decline the invitation, the NFL recognizes this as a Pro Bowl berth for him.
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Russell Wilson became the first quarterback in NFL history to start two Super Bowls in his first three professional seasons.
58.
Russell Wilson led the Seahawks to the Patriots' one-yard line with 25 seconds remaining, but Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler intercepted a pass intended for Ricardo Lockette, sealing the victory for the Patriots.
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Russell Wilson was ranked 22nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
60.
On July 31,2015, the Seahawks and Russell Wilson agreed to a 4-year, $87.6 million contract extension, making him, at the time, the second-highest-paid player in the NFL.
61.
Russell Wilson broke numerous Seahawks single season passing records in 2015, including most passing yards, most passing touchdowns, and highest passer rating.
62.
Russell Wilson became the first Seahawks quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, and finished the year with the highest passer rating in the NFL.
63.
On December 22,2015, Russell Wilson was named to his third Pro Bowl.
64.
Russell Wilson was ranked 17th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
65.
Russell Wilson struggled in the sub-zero temperatures, throwing for 142 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
66.
In that game, Russell Wilson threw for 366 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
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Russell Wilson was drafted first overall by Team Irvin in the 2016 Pro Bowl draft, and in the game threw eight completions on 12 attempts for 164 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions for a 149.3 rating.
68.
However, Russell Wilson drew two minor injuries: his ankle during Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins after getting stepped on by defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, and his left knee against the San Francisco 49ers during Week 3 after a takedown by linebacker Eli Harold.
69.
Russell Wilson put together a season where he recorded a career-high 4,219 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 259 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
70.
Russell Wilson was ranked 24th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.
71.
On September 5,2017, Russell Wilson was voted Seahawks offensive captain for the fifth consecutive season.
72.
In Week 8 against the Houston Texans, Russell Wilson posted an astounding performance, going 26 of 41 for a career-high 452 passing yards and four touchdowns in a matchup where both he and Deshaun Watson each threw over 400 yards.
73.
On December 21,2017, the Seahawks were fined $100,000 for failure to properly apply the concussion protocol on a hit Russell Wilson sustained during the Week 10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
74.
In Week 12, with the win over San Francisco, Russell Wilson became the winningest quarterback in a player's first six seasons with 63 wins, surpassing Joe Flacco.
75.
Russell Wilson went 20 for 31 for 227 yards and three touchdowns in that game, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
76.
On December 19,2017, Russell Wilson was named to his fourth Pro Bowl.
77.
Russell Wilson threw for 34 touchdown passes, finishing the season as the league's leader in touchdowns thrown.
78.
Russell Wilson was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.
79.
Russell Wilson was named as a captain for the Seahawks going into the 2018 season.
80.
Russell Wilson finished the season with 35 touchdowns and a 110.9 passer rating, both personal and franchise bests.
81.
Russell Wilson set career franchise records with most quarterback regular-season wins and most touchdowns.
82.
Russell Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl for the sixth time in his career, replacing Aaron Rodgers.
83.
Russell Wilson was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019.
84.
In Week 3 against the New Orleans Saints, Russell Wilson completed 32 passes for 406 yards and two passing touchdowns.
85.
Russell Wilson was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.
86.
Russell Wilson was ranked 2nd on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2020, the highest of his career, and beat out the likes of renowned quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady.
87.
Russell Wilson was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 1.
88.
Russell Wilson set an NFL record most passing touchdowns through three games with 14.
89.
Russell Wilson was again named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 3.
90.
On October 1,2020, Russell Wilson was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for his performance in September.
91.
Russell Wilson broke his own franchise record for passing touchdowns in a single season with his efforts in 2020.
92.
Russell Wilson was ranked 12th on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2021, the third highest ranking of his career.
93.
Russell Wilson had surgery to repair the injury on October 8,2021.
94.
Russell Wilson was placed on injured reserved later that same day, ensuring he would miss the next three games at minimum.
95.
Russell Wilson earned his ninth Pro Bowl nomination after Tom Brady was unable to participate.
96.
Russell Wilson was ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.
97.
Teammates said the trade was unavoidable, as Russell Wilson broke with the team and "checked out" mid-season.
98.
The Seahawks said that Russell Wilson did not approve of the team firing offensive line coach Mike Solari and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
99.
Russell Wilson said that while he did not initiate the trade, the decision was mutual.
100.
On September 1,2022, Russell Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos.
101.
Russell Wilson was sacked more than any other quarterback in the 2022 season.
102.
In March 2023, it was revealed that Russell Wilson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during the offseason.
103.
Russell Wilson was a member of the NC State Wolfpack baseball team from 2008 to 2010, and in the summer of 2009 played for the Gastonia Grizzlies, a collegiate summer baseball team in the Coastal Plain League.
104.
On June 8,2010, Russell Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB draft.
105.
In January 2012, Russell Wilson informed the Rockies that he would be pursuing a career in the NFL and would not report to spring training for the 2012 season.
106.
On December 12,2013, Russell Wilson was acquired from the Rockies by the Texas Rangers in the Triple-A phase of the Rule 5 draft.
107.
Russell Wilson attended Rangers spring training in Surprise, Arizona in 2014 and 2015.
108.
On February 7,2018, Russell Wilson was traded from the Rangers to the New York Yankees and assigned to the Yankees' Double-A affiliate, the Trenton Thunder.
109.
Russell Wilson grew up as a Yankees fan and promised his late father that he would one day wear the Yankees uniform.
110.
Russell Wilson struck out on five pitches from Braves pitcher Max Fried.
111.
Since being named the starting quarterback of the Seahawks in August 2012, Russell Wilson has appeared in advertisements for Levi's, American Family Insurance, Pepsi, Nike, Alaska Airlines, Microsoft, Duracell, Braun, Bose, United Way, and Larson Automotive Group.
112.
In 2014, Russell Wilson became part-owner and endorser of Eat the Ball, a European bread company.
113.
On February 29,2016, Russell Wilson launched Good Man Brand, a clothing line which he co-founded.
114.
On November 14,2016, Russell Wilson announced he had joined Chris Hansen, Wally Walker, and Erik and Pete Nordstrom as partners in the investment group working to bring a new sports arena to Seattle's SoDo neighborhood for potential NBA and NHL teams.
115.
In 2017, Russell Wilson founded a fan network platform to connect fans with celebrities called TraceMe.
116.
In July 2018, Russell Wilson became an investor and endorser for Molecule, a mattress company.
117.
In September 2018, Russell Wilson was announced as the next athlete to appear on the cover of the Wheaties cereal box.
118.
In January 2020, Russell Wilson was named Chairman of NFL FLAG.
119.
Russell Wilson has worked with the flag football organizations in China, Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom to help spread awareness of the sport and get athletes engaged in the game at a young age.
120.
Russell Wilson has appeared on the cover of several magazines including Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated Kids, Rolling Stone, ESPN The Magazine, Men's Fitness, and Men's Health.
121.
Russell Wilson hosted the 2015,2016, and 2017 Kids' Choice Sports on Nickelodeon.
122.
Russell Wilson graduated from NC State with a bachelor's degree in communications in 2010 after three years of study.
123.
Russell Wilson met his first wife, Ashton Meem, while they were both high school students.
124.
Russell Wilson has a stepson from her relationship with Future.
125.
Russell Wilson frequently speaks about his Christian faith on his social media accounts.
126.
In 2012, proceeds from the camp went to the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association, for which Russell Wilson is the National Ambassador.