Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson Left Nothing to Chance in Preparation for Starting Job

By Nate Kuester
Senior Writer

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has been passed the torch as the starter heading into Week 1 of the regular season. It is safe to say that his path to the job was hardly left to chance with the amount of preparation and work he put into earning the position.

National Football Post’s Dan Pompei made note of the rise of Wilson to the starting quarterback job. He detailed the sheer devotion by Wilson to play at an effective and high level. The following is some of what Pompei wrote about the rookie signal-caller.

“I’m told in July he [Wilson] often was the only football person at the Seahawks facility, as he showed up every day at 6:30 a.m. to watch tape. Wilson has a little Peyton Manning in him. In fact, he consulted with Manning before the draft, as well as Eli Manning, Drew Brees and Philip Rivers.”

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For Wilson, the early mornings are factored in as just part of what you do if you want to succeed. The Seahawks quarterback recently shared a story at a press conference during Week 4 of the preseason about his father getting him up early to practice.

“My dad used to wake me up early in the morning, 5:30 in the morning, 6:00 in the morning,” said Wilson. “He used to throw speed-outs and everything. It’s just that dedication that started at a young age. It’s never changed and it won’t waiver.”

Pompei’s acknowledgement that Wilson has the same level of drive as a Peyton Manning or Drew Brees certainly comes as high praise, however it would appear to be more of an apt descriptor rather than stroking the ego of the former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback. The praise, much like Wilson’s rise to the starting role with the Seahawks, was not handed to the rookie; it was earned.

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Pompei also made note of a similarity that Colts quarterback coach Clyde Christensen, who formerly coached Manning, noticed that both quarterbacks keep notes of practices and that they look a lot alike in how they go about their business of documenting the practices. Pompei wrote that Wilson even uses an Excel spreadsheet to organize his diary in regard to practices.

The simple fact that Wilson landed the role of starter came as a surprise to many, but not to him. He was only too ready to put in the necessary work to prove his worth and ability as a leader of the offense as well as the team as a whole.

“I definitely started with that as a goal,” said Wilson. “I have high expectations of myself, I always have and I always will. That will never waiver.”

The early mornings, the effort and the organization he puts into his position caught the attention of the coaching staff, fellow teammates and fans alike. However, anyone that says that they didn’t see this coming clearly hasn’t paid attention to Wilson’s career.

“For my name to be called for this football team is pretty special,” Wilson said. “I’ve tried to do everything possible to prepare myself and to prepare our team to be great.”

Follow Nate Kuester on Twitter: @NateKuester.

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