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4 weeks, 2 days前
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**Childhood & High School**
Russell Wilson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Richmond, Virginia. The second of three siblings (an older brother and a younger sister), Wilson began playing football with his father and brother at age 4 [3], inheriting a family legacy of athleticism—his grandfather and father were dual-sport stars in football and baseball during their college years [4].
Wilson attended the Collegiate School, a private preparatory school in Virginia. In 2005 and 2006, he was named Virginia’s Gatorade High School Football Player of the Year, throwing 74 touchdown passes and adding 33 rushing touchdowns over those two seasons [5]. Like his father and brother, Wilson also played baseball. He ultimately accepted a football scholarship to North Carolina State University.
**College & Draft**
As a freshman, Wilson redshirted and watched from the sidelines. He earned the starting quarterback role in Week 6 of his sophomore year, leading the team to four consecutive wins to close the season. However, he suffered an injury in the first half of the season finale against Rutgers, a 23-29 loss. That year, he completed 150 of 275 passes for 1,955 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning First-Team All-ACC honors.
Wilson started at quarterback for NC State during his junior and senior years while also excelling on the baseball team. In 2010, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the MLB Draft but played only briefly in their minor league system that summer. After earning his bachelor’s degree from NC State in 2010, Wilson attended Rockies spring training in 2011 but later pursued the NFL Draft. Despite his efforts, he was not invited to the NFL Combine, dimming his draft prospects. During a 2016 commencement speech at the University of Wisconsin, Wilson revealed that he had intended to play his senior football season at NC State but was denied by head coach Tom O’Brien, who believed Wilson’s height (5’11”) would prevent him from becoming an NFL-caliber quarterback [6]. With one year of NCAA eligibility remaining (freshman redshirt year excluded), Wilson transferred to the University of Wisconsin for a better shot at the NFL [7]. During his three seasons at NC State, he threw for 8,545 yards and 76 touchdowns [8].
In 2011, Wilson joined the Wisconsin Badgers and continued his stellar play, setting a school record with 33 touchdown passes. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, finished ninth in Heisman Trophy voting, and led the Badgers to the Rose Bowl, where a last-second incomplete pass resulted in a 38-45 loss to Oregon [9].
Ahead of the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson was projected as a mid-round pick due to concerns about his height. On the second day of the draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the third round (75th overall). However, with Seattle having signed quarterback Matt Flynn in free agency, the pick was widely criticized [10].
**Professional Career**
**2012 Season**
Wilson won the starting job over Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson in preseason, earning the trust of head coach Pete Carroll [11]. In his debut against the Arizona Cardinals, he completed 18 of 34 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown, but four failed red-zone passes in the final moments led to a 16-20 loss. In Week 3 against the Green Bay Packers, Wilson’s 40-yard Hail Mary pass resulted in a controversial game-winning touchdown catch by Golden Tate and M.D. Jennings simultaneously securing the ball in the end zone. Dubbed the "Fail Mary" (a play on "Hail Mary"), the disputed ruling sparked national debate, as Tate appeared to commit offensive pass interference before the catch [12].
Wilson’s rookie season was marked by inconsistency. He delivered clutch moments, such as a 48-yard game-winning touchdown pass against Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in Week 6, but also struggled during a five-game road losing streak. After a Week 12 overtime comeback against the Chicago Bears (23-17), Wilson and the Seahawks surged, winning four straight to finish 11-5 and secure a Wild Card berth. His 26 touchdown passes tied Peyton Manning’s NFL rookie record [13]. In the Divisional Round against the Atlanta Falcons, Wilson threw for 368 yards (a playoff rookie record [14]), but a 49-yard Falcons field goal with 8 seconds left ended Seattle’s season (28-30). Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate.
**2013 Season**
Wilson’s steady play and Seattle’s historically dominant defense propelled the team to an 11-1 start. Despite late-season losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Cardinals, the Seahawks secured the NFC’s top seed at 13-3. Wilson’s 24-8 record over his first two seasons matched an NFL record. In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints (whom Seattle had beaten 34-7 in the regular season), Wilson completed just 9 of 18 passes for 103 yards in rainy conditions, but the Seahawks advanced 23-15 behind Marshawn Lynch’s 140 rushing yards. The NFC Championship against the 49ers saw Wilson fumble on the first play, but he rebounded with 215 passing yards and a clutch 35-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, sealing a 23-17 victory [15].
In Super Bowl XLVIII, Wilson capitalized on the Denver Broncos’ early mistakes, guiding Seattle to a 43-8 rout. He became the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl [1].
**2014 Season**
In Week 4, Wilson threw for 201 yards and rushed for 122 in a 27-17 road win over Washington [16]. In Week 7 against the St. Louis Rams, he became the first NFL quarterback to throw for 300+ yards (313) and rush for 100+ (106) in a game, though Seattle lost 26-28 due to special teams errors [17]. A six-game winning streak secured the NFC’s top seed at 12-4 [18]. Wilson rushed for 849 yards (5th-most by a QB in NFL history) and 6 touchdowns, compensating for Seattle’s weak passing attack. His 36 wins in his first three seasons set an NFL record, but his touchdown passes dipped to 20, and his passer rating fell below 100 [19].
In the Divisional Round, Wilson converted all eight third-down passes (including three touchdowns) in a 31-17 win over the Carolina Panthers. The NFC Championship, however, saw him throw four interceptions targeting Jermaine Kearse, leading to a 7-19 deficit with five minutes left. A Packers muffed kickoff allowed Wilson and Lynch to force overtime, where Wilson’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Kearse clinched a 28-22 win. In Super Bowl XLIX, Wilson connected with Chris Matthews for key deep passes, but a goal-line interception with 25 seconds left sealed a 24-28 loss to the Patriots [20].
Three weeks later, Wilson publicly took full responsibility: “It’s one yard. When I walked off that field in Arizona and saw Seahawks fans crying, how could I not feel I let them down? Responsibility is everything for a quarterback and leader. I’ll carry this loss forever. For three weeks, I tried to forget football, but the more I tried, the more I wanted to get back to work—until we reach Super Bowl 50” [21].
**2015 Season**
After a prolonged contract negotiation, Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6 million extension ($60 million guaranteed), making him the NFL’s second-highest-paid QB behind Aaron Rodgers [22]. Despite acquiring tight end Jimmy Graham, Seattle’s porous offensive line allowed 31 sacks in the first seven games, contributing to a 4-5 start. Five losses came after fourth-quarter leads slipped away. A Week 10 loss to the Cardinals (32-39) left Seattle’s playoff hopes in doubt.
Post-bye week, Wilson ignited. With Lynch and Graham injured, he and Doug Baldwin connected for 10 touchdowns in Weeks 11–15, making Wilson the first QB with five straight games of 3+ TDs and no interceptions (19 total TDs). On his 27th birthday, he threw for 345 yards and 5 TDs in a win over Pittsburgh [23]. Seattle closed 6-1, earning a Wild Card spot. Wilson set franchise records with 4,024 passing yards and 34 TDs, leading the NFL with a 110.1 passer rating [24].
In the Wild Card Round against Minnesota (-20°F), Wilson went 13/26 for 142 yards but capitalized on Adrian Peterson’s fumble to rally from 0-9 down, winning 10-9 on a missed Vikings field goal. The Divisional Round saw Seattle trail Carolina 0-31 at halftime. Wilson’s three second-half TDs narrowed the gap, but the Panthers held on for a 31-24 win.
**2016 Season**
Wilson suffered ankle and knee injuries early, limiting his mobility. Despite moments like a 3-TD game against New England, he posted a career-low 92.6 passer rating. Seattle went 10-5-1 but lost 20-36 to Atlanta in the Divisional Round.
**2017 Season**
With no rusher surpassing 300 yards, Wilson carried the offense, throwing for 3,983 yards and 34 TDs while rushing for 586. A declining defense and kicker Blair Walsh’s blunders led to a 9-7 finish—Wilson’s first missed playoffs.
**2018 Season**
Coaching changes emphasized a run-heavy approach (NFL’s highest rush rate). With Baldwin injured and Graham gone, Wilson’s attempts (427) and yards (3,448) dipped, and he was sacked 51 times. However, he set career highs in TDs (35) and passer rating (110.9), forming a perfect connection with Tyler Lockett (158.3 rating when targeting him [25]). Seattle averaged 26.8 points (6th in NFL) and went 10-6, but a conservative game plan in the Wild Card loss to Dallas (22-24) drew criticism.
**2019 Season**
Wilson signed a four-year, $140 million extension, reclaiming the NFL’s highest average salary. A hot start (10-2) had him in MVP contention, but injuries and defensive struggles led to a 11-5 finish. He threw for 4,110 yards and 31 TDs, becoming Seattle’s all-time passing leader. In the Wild Card Round, Wilson’s 53-yard TD to DK Metcalf and late-game heroics beat Philadelphia (17-9). However, a 3-21 halftime deficit against Green Bay in the Divisional Round proved insurmountable despite a second-half rally (23-28 loss).
**2025 Season**
In March 2025, Wilson signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants worth up to $21 million [45].
**Personal Life**
Wilson resides in suburban Seattle, closely connected to three lifelong friends [26]. He married Ashton Meem in 2012 but divorced in 2014 amid rumors of infidelity involving Golden Tate (denied by Tate [27][28]).
In 2015, Wilson began dating singer Ciara, announcing their relationship at a White House state dinner [29]. He proposed in Seychelles in 2016 [30], and they married in England that July [31]. Their daughter Sienna was born in 2017 [32]. After signing his Seahawks extension, Wilson purchased a $6.7 million mansion on Lake Washington [33].
A devout Christian, Wilson credits his faith for helping him cope with his father’s 2010 death. He posts daily Bible verses on Twitter [34].
Wilson is deeply involved in philanthropy, regularly visiting Seattle Children’s Hospital, hosting football camps, supporting cancer/diabetes awareness, and funding community sports. He won the Steve Largent Award (for community service) in 2012 [35].
He participated in Texas Rangers spring training, exploring a two-sport career [36], and appeared alongside Tom Brady in the 2015 film *Entourage* [37]. In 2019, Wilson and Ciara joined the ownership group of MLS’s Seattle Sounders FC [38]. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he donated 1.3 million meals to Seattle communities.
*(Translation adheres to prior style, maintaining key terms like "Super Bowl," "NFL Combine," and team names. Measurements, stats, and cultural references (e.g., "Hail Mary") are localized for clarity. Chronological and contextual adjustments ensure natural English flow.)*