Superbowl XLVIII QB's Time Spent as a Tourist
Observant viewers of Sunday's NFC Championship Game pitting the Seattle Seahawks against the San Francisco 49ers may have caught a glimpse of the Asheville Tourists. While recounting the background of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, the FOX Network posted a photo of the former second baseman's days with the Tourists. That picture dates to the 2011 campaign, when Wilson was honing his skills on the infield at McCormick Field.
Those who worked with and watched Wilson are not surprised that the former two-sport standout has guided the Seahawks to their first trip to the Super Bowl. After all, when his focus centered on baseball, Wilson demonstrated a work ethic and desire to succeed that is rarely seen at any level of competition.
"I'm working my butt off and doing what I can to improve every single day," Wilson said midway through the 2011 campaign. "That's my mindset. Some days are tougher than others, but I'm trying to take the good with the bad and maintain an even keel. It's been tough at times, but I'm enjoying it."
The Colorado Rockies drafted Wilson in 2010 in the fourth round and signed him for a reported bonus of $200,000. While his performance in football at North Carolina State was noteworthy, beginning with Wilson becoming the first freshman named first-team All-ACC quarterback in 2008 and ending by ranking among the Wolfpack's top three in most career categories, his baseball accomplishments were pedestrian. He batted .296 in 32 games in 2008 prior to missing the first 22 contests of the 2009 slate due to a sprained knee he suffered in football. His best showing was his last, in 2010, when he posted a .306 batting average in 47 games with three homers, 12 RBIs and nine stolen bases in 10 attempts.
"I didn't play that much (baseball) in college," Wilson said. "I wanted to be a two-sport athlete because I knew I had the ability and the tools to do it. I talked to a lot of scouts who made it clear there was a good chance I was going to get drafted high. It was something I really wanted and I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity."
Wilson began his professional baseball career by reporting to Tri-City in the Northwest League and batted .230 with an on-base percentage of .336 before returning to Raleigh for football practice. He started the 2011 baseball slate slowly by hitting .209 through the end of May before finding more consistency in June. Strikeouts were his albatross, with Wilson fanning 82 times in 193 at-bats. He showed a good eye, however, as evidenced by his 35 walks, and improved his effectiveness on the basepaths by succeeding on 15 of his 17 stolen-base attempts.
Wilson, however, was dissatisfied with the way his football tenure at North Carolina State ended. With Wilson having earned his undergraduate degree, then-Wolfpack head coach Tom O'Brien named Mike Glennon his starting signal caller and released Wilson from his commitment. Wilson had a final year of eligibility on the gridiron and wound up discussing options with Auburn and Wisconsin before deciding to play with the Badgers. That scenario forced Wilson to leave the Tourists in July after hitting .228 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 61 games in order to start pre-season practice with the Big Ten school's football team.
Wilson proceeded to lead the Badgers to the Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl. He set the single-season FBS record for passing efficiency (191.8) and was named a consensus first-team All-Big Ten selection and third-team All-America pick. That performance led the Seahawks to draft Wilson in the third round in 2012. A few months later, he was Seattle's starting quarterback as a rookie and guided the Seahawks to the NFC Championship in his second professional slate.
During his days in Asheville, the most impressive part of Wilson's game was his work ethic. It was not uncommon to see him at McCormick Field at 11:30 a.m. for a 7:05 p.m. game. His hands were calloused from all the ground balls he took, and he worked tirelessly on his footwork around the keystone sack as well as on his swing in the batting cage. Then-Asheville skipper Joe Mikulik said Wilson worked as hard as anyone he managed in his 11 years with the Tourists, yet admitted the second baseman was a little behind many of his teammates in terms of experience.
"I can see a lot of improvements in every area of my game," Wilson said just prior to his departure from Asheville. "My goal is to be a complete and consistent player, a five-tool player. I know it's going to come as long as I keep working hard to be the best I can be."
Without question, Wilson has become that player…only it's happening at the game's highest level in football.