 Wilson in 2014 | |
| No. 1,81 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1994-09-14)September 14, 1994 Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | January 21, 2020(2020-01-21) (aged 25) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight | 218 lb (99 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Birmingham (AL) Wenonah |
| College | Mississippi State |
| NFL draft | 2016: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Stats atPro Football Reference  | |
De’Runnya S. Wilson[1] (September 14, 1994 – January 21, 2020) was an American footballwide receiver. He playedcollege football for theMississippi State Bulldogs.
Wilson attendedWenonah High School inBirmingham, Alabama, where he was primarily a basketball star, earning first-teamParade All-American honors in 2013. He joined the football team in his senior season, when he caught 31 passes for 682 yards and helped lead the Dragons to a 10–2 season.[1]
On the hardwood, he helped lead the Dragons to three consecutive state championships and was named the 2013Alabama Mr. Basketball.[2]
Wilson was rated as a three-star football recruit by247sports.com,[3]Rivals.com,[4] andScout.com.[5] He chose to attendMississippi State over offers fromAuburn,Cincinnati,Colorado State,Louisville,Tennessee, andUAB.[3]
Wilson made his debut in the first game of the2013 season, catching 2 passes for 17 yards in a 21–3 loss toOklahoma State in theAdvoCare Texas Kickoff.[6] Wilson's first touchdown came on a 59-yard pass fromTyler Russell againstLSU.[7] Wilson had a breakout game againstTexas A&M, catching 7 passes for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns.[8]
After the football season ended, Wilson played on theBulldogs men's basketball team. He appeared in 7 games, scoring 6 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.[9]
Wilson started every game atreceiver for the Bulldogs in2014. He had four catches and a touchdown in each of the Bulldogs' wins over top 10 teamsLSU,[10]Texas A&M,[11] andAuburn,[12] helping lead the Bulldogs to the #1 ranking. Wilson came on strong at the end of the season, having 8 catches each in losses to Alabama[13] and Ole Miss.[14] He followed it up with 9 catches and 2 touchdowns in theOrange Bowl.[15] Wilson was the 2014 Bulldogs' leading receiver in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.[16]
Wilson was listed on the2014–15 men's basketball roster,[17] but did not appear in any games.[18] Wilson's career as a basketball player was over, as it turned out later.[19]
Wilson had 8 catches and a touchdown in a 21–19 loss toLSU.[20] He had 102 yards and 2 touchdowns in a rainy 31–13 win overMissouri[21] and a career-high 10 receptions in a 51–50 thriller over Arkansas.[22]
Wilson ranks 5th inschool history with 133 receptions, 6th with 1,949 yards, and 2nd with 22 touchdowns.
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2013 | Mississippi State | 13 | 26 | 351 | 13.5 | 59 | 3 |
| 2014 | Mississippi State | 13 | 47 | 680 | 14.5 | 44 | 9 |
| 2015 | Mississippi State | 13 | 60 | 918 | 15.3 | 48 | 10 |
| Career | 39 | 133 | 1,949 | 14.7 | 59 | 22 | |
On January 1, 2016, Wilson declared for the2016 NFL draft.[23] He had drawn comparisons toDetroit Lions receiverCalvin Johnson,[24]Carolina Panthers receiverKelvin Benjamin,[25] andBaltimore Ravens tight endDarren Waller.[26] Wilson participated in theNFL Scouting Combine but went undrafted, gaining only a workout with theChicago Bears in October of that year.[27]
On March 20, 2018, Wilson joined theAlbany Empire of theArena Football League as afree agent, but never played a game as the team placed him on recallable reassignment a week later.[28]
On January 21, 2020, Wilson was found shot to death inside his Birmingham, Alabama home. He was 25 years old.[29] Wilson was the father of five children.[29]
Media related toDe'Runnya Wilson at Wikimedia Commons