Last Updated on February 27, 2024
Who Is Russell Wilson?
Russell Carrington Wilson is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the National Football League (NFL)’s Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson initially played college football and baseball at NC State Wolfpack from 2008 to 2011. He later transferred to Wisconsin in 2011, before eventually turning professional football and baseball player.
Wilson has spent his entire professional football career at Seattle Seahawks.
Quick Facts
Full Name: | Russell Carrington Wilson |
Popular Name: | Russell Wilson |
Gender: | Male |
Birth Date: | November 29, 1988 |
Age: | 34 years |
Parents: | Harrison Benjamin Wilson III and Tammy Turner Wilson |
Siblings: | Harrison IV Wilson and Anna Wilson |
Birth Place: | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States |
Nationality: | American |
Ethnicity: | Mixed (African American, European, and Asian) |
Education: | Stone Bridge High School, Collegiate School, Manning Passing Academy, North Carolina State University, and Wisconsin University |
Marital Status: | Married to American R&B singer Ciara (from July 6, 2016); previously married to Ashton Meem (from January 2012 to April 2014) |
Sexual Orientation: | Straight |
Wife/Spouse: | Ciara |
Children: | Win Harrison Wilson and Sienna Princess Wilson, plus a stepson through Ciara’s relationship with Future |
Dating: | N/A |
Net Worth: | USD 100 million |
Source of Wealth: | Professional Football Playing, Professional Baseball Playing, Endorsement Deals, and other Entrepreneurial Ventures |
Height: | 5′ 11″ (1.8 m) |
Weight: | 98 kg; In pounds: 215 lbs. |
Early Life
Russell Wilson was born on November 29, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, to Harrison Benjamin Wilson III and Tammy Turner Wilson. His father was a lawyer, whereas his mother was a nurse director.
Wilson developed an interest in football at the age of four. He played his first organized game while in sixth grade.
High School Career
Russell Wilson attended Stone Bridge High School for one semester and later transferred to Collegiate School. While in high school, Wilson split his time between his studies and honing his athletic prowess. As a junior in high school, he threw for 3,287 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 634 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. He subsequently earned All-District, All-Region, and All-State Player awards, in addition to being named the Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year twice.
Wilson maintained his peak form through his senior year in high school. He threw for 3,009 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns, as well as rushed for 1,132 yards and 18 touchdowns.
After graduating from high school, Russell Wilson proceeded to North Carolina State University, where he continued to pursue his athletic ambitions. He played for the university’s NC State Wolfpack football team from 2008 to 2011. On June 27, 2011, it was announced that Wilson would join Wisconsin Badgers football club.
Wilson’s total college stats include throwing for 11,720 passing yards and 109 passing touchdowns. He also rushed for 1,427 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns.
During the same period, Wilson played baseball for the NC State Wolfpack baseball team and the Gastonia Grizzlies.
Professional Football Career
After enjoying high school and college football success, Russell Wilson eventually turned professional in 2012. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2012 NFL Draft, emerging the 75th overall.
Wilson has spent his entire professional football career playing for the Seattle Seahawks. In 2019, he signed a $140 million contract extension with the Seahawks, becoming the highest-paid NFL player at the time.
The following are some of Wilson’s most notable professional NFL achievements:
• 9× Pro Bowl Awards in 2012–2015 and 2017–2021
• Super Bowl champion (XLVIII)
• Second-team All-Pro in 2019
• NFL passer rating leader in 2015
• NFL passing touchdowns leader in 2017
• Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2020
• Bart Starr Award in 2022
Professional Baseball Career
Russell Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies on June 8, 2010, emerging as the 140th pick overall. He went on to play 32 games for the Tri-City Dust Devils, which is the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in the Northwest League.
In the summer of 2011, Wilson played 61 games for the Asheville Tourists, the Class A affiliate of the Rockies in the South Atlantic League.
Wilson also played professional baseball for Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees.
Russell Wilson’s Net Worth
Russell Wilson’s net worth is a staggering $100 million. Wilson has earned much of his wealth from football and baseball salaries, as well as from endorsements.
On July 31, 2015, Wilson signed a 4-year contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks valued at $87.6 million. The contract included a signing bonus of $31 million, with $60 million guaranteed. But it’s his April 16, 2019 contract extension that left tongues wagging. The $140 million deal comes with $65 million signing bonus and entitles Wilson to up to $107 million in guaranteed money.
In terms of endorsement deals, Wilson has earned millions from his partnership with renowned brands like Nike, Pepsi, Levi’s, and American Family Insurance. Other major brands Wilson has endorsed over the years include Microsoft, Alaska Airlines, Bose, Braun, Duracell, and United Way.
Russell Wilson has also pursued other business ventures, including investing in football helmet manufacturer VICIS.
Lessons from Russell Wilson
1. Time management is an art
Russell Wilson credits his success to hard work and his ability to balance between his two athletic careers – football and baseball. It takes skill in time management to pursue two major careers concurrently.
2. Ignore your detractors
Paying attention to the naysayers is one of the surest ways to set yourself up for failure. Wilson once said, “I thought about all the people that told me I couldn’t do it and told me I couldn’t get there.”
3. You don’t need to change employers if the current one is working for you
Russell Wilson has spent his whole professional career playing football for the Seattle Seahawks. That he has maintained one club for close to a decade can only mean that Wilson derives satisfaction from his current team.
Famous Quotes by Russell Wilson
• Always persevere, always have a great perspective, and always have great purpose in your life.
• Every setback has a major comeback.
• I’m here today because God has brought me here. Jesus has brought me here…I’m with an amazing team. I believe He perfectly placed me in the right spot at the right time.
• My height doesn’t define my skill set. To be a great quarterback, you have to have great leadership, great attention to detail and a relentless competitive nature – and I try to bring that on a daily basis.
• The more that we choose not to talk about domestic violence, the more we shy away from the issue, the more we lose.
Conclusion
Russell Wilson is one of the few athletes to pursue two major sporting careers concurrently. Thanks to his hard work and determination, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback swims in millions. His net worth as of 2023 stands at $100 million.