.jpg) Wilson withVirginia Tech in 2011 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 22 | |||||||||||||||
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| Positions | Running back,return specialist | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1991-06-15)June 15, 1991 (age 34) Danville, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | George Washington (Danville) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Virginia Tech (2009–2011) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2012: 1st round, 32nd overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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David Emmanuel Wilson (born June 15, 1991) is an American former professionalfootball player who was arunning back for theNew York Giants of theNational Football League (NFL). Wilson playedcollege football for theVirginia Tech Hokies, earning second-teamAll-American honors in 2011. He was selected in the first round of the2012 NFL draft by the Giants with the 32nd overall pick.[1] He was forced to retire after only two NFL seasons because of a career-ending neck injury.
Wilson attendedGeorge Washington High School inDanville, Virginia. As a senior, he set a school record with 2,291 rushing yards and 35touchdowns. He was first-team all-district, all-metro, and all-region selection and theGatorade Player of the Year for Virginia. In 2009, he played forUSA Football's U.S. Under-19 National Team that won the 2009IFAF Under-19 World Championship in Canton, Ohio and was named the tournament's MVP, rushing for 427 yards and eight touchdowns in three games.[2]
Wilson attendedVirginia Tech, where he played for coachFrank Beamer'sVirginia Tech Hokies football team from 2009 to 2011. As a freshman in 2009, he played in all 13 games and had 334 rushing yards on 59 carries with four touchdowns. In 2010, he had 619 yards on 113 carries and five touchdowns. He also had 234 yards on 15receptions with four touchdowns. In 2011 Wilson took over as the Hokies starting running back afterRyan Williams andDarren Evans went on to theNFL.[3] He had a breakout year, finishing the season with a school record 1,709 rushing yards on 290 carries,[4] and was named the 2011 ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Wilson also holds the Hokie records for most 100+ performances (10 in 2011) and career yards-per-carry (5.76).[5]
Wilson impressed the scouts at the combine, showing his athletic promise, and was widely considered a top 5 running back behindTrent Richardson. He was the top performer in the vertical and broad jumps as well as the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle runs.[6]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft9+5⁄8 in (1.77 m) | 206 lb (93 kg) | 30+1⁄4 in (0.77 m) | 9+3⁄8 in (0.24 m) | 4.40 s | 1.50 s | 2.66 s | 4.12 s | 7.09 s | 41 in (1.04 m) | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) | ||
| All values from 2012NFL Scouting Combine/Pro Day[7][8] | ||||||||||||
Wilson was the first round pick (32nd overall) of theNew York Giants.[9]
On May 11, 2012, Wilson signed a four-year contract with the Giants worth $6.68 million that included a club option for a fifth-year and a $3.3 million signing bonus.[10]
In the season opener against theDallas Cowboys, Wilson lost a fumble on his second career carry and did not receive another carry for the rest of the game. On October 7, 2012, Wilson rushed for a 40-yard touchdown during the week 5 match versus theCleveland Browns on his first carry of the game. On December 9, 2012, Wilson set theNew York Giants team record for all-purpose yards in a single game when he accumulated 327 all-purpose yards in a 52-27 win over theNew Orleans Saints. Wilson returned four kickoffs for 227 yards (including a 97-yard return for a touchdown) and also ran for 100 yards with two touchdowns on just 13 carries. His kick-off return touchdown was of 97 yards, and his two touchdown runs were of 6 and 52 yards. He became the first player in NFL history with 200 kick return yards and 100 rushing yards, and the second player since 1970 with a kick return touchdown and two rushing touchdowns, in the same game.[11] He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.[12]
In 2013, Wilson was placed on season-ending injured reserve after he suffered what doctors calledspinal stenosis in Week 5 against thePhiladelphia Eagles. Doctors had told Wilson that he faced an increased risk of a neck injury if he ever played again. Wilson underwent neck surgery on January 16, 2014. On August 4, 2014, he was ruled out for the year due to his neck again. He was advised not to play football again because of recurring neck injuries and announced his retirement from the NFL on August 6, 2014.[13]
| Year | Team | G | Att | Att/G | Yds | Avg | Yds/G | TD | Lng | 1st | 1st% | 20+ | 40+ | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | New York Giants | 16 | 71 | 4.4 | 358 | 5.0 | 22.4 | 4 | 52T | 17 | 23.9 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | New York Giants | 5 | 44 | 8.8 | 146 | 3.3 | 29.2 | 1 | 18 | 10 | 22.7 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Wilson was also a sprinter and jumper for the George Washington High School's track team. He won the national championship in the triple jump at the 2009 Nike Indoor Meet. He also competed in the100 meters, he tied for 1st place at the 2009 WV District Championships, with a career-best time of 10.84 seconds.[14]
As a member of theVirginia Tech Hokies track and field team, he placed third at the 2010 VT Indoor Challenge in thelong jump, with a career-best leap of 7.23 meters. He earned first place triple jump finishes at the Miami Invitational (15.18m) and Liberty Twilight (15.16m). He also competed in the60-meter dash, recording a career-best time of 6.86 seconds at the VT Elite Meet.[15] In 2011, he earned his first career All-America honor, after placing sixth in thetriple jump at the NCAA Championships, with a personal-best leap of 16.20 meters.[16]
After ending his NFL career due to aneck injury, Wilson announced that he's planning a return to track and field as atriple jumper.[17] Wilson failed to reach the final at the 2015 Adidas Grand Prix and finished ninth after posting his best jump of 14.66 meters. Wilson recorded a jump of 14.34 in his first attempt.[18]
Wilson had a tryout with theBaltimore Orioles' instructional league team in 2017 but was not signed.[19]
After his football career, Wilson has also attempted to pursue a career in music.[19]
Media related toDavid Wilson (American football) at Wikimedia Commons
