Seahawks' Russell Wilson takes different path to success
PHOENIX — Stuck in a car on the recruiting trail somewhere in Ruston, La., one of Bret Bielema's passengers let out a sigh of disgust.
Joel Thomas — University of Arkansas running backs coach, Washington state native and die-hard Seattle Seahawks fan — checked his phone and saw the score. His Seahawks trailed the Green Bay Packers by 12 points in the NFC Championship Game with fewer than five minutes to play.
The season was over thought Thomas.
"Hey," Bielema, Arkansas' head coach, shot back, "don't count my man Russell out."
Everyone else laughed.
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The car full of Razorbacks coaches sped back to their hotel. By the time they arrived, Russell Wilson had just led an improbable rally that had given the Seahawks a 20-19 lead — just in time for the coaches to see a play that exemplifies Wilson as a quarterback. It was a pivotal two-point conversion off a broken play — Wilson spun away from the Packers rush before lofting a high-arcing pass across the field to tight end Luke Willson — that even Bielema, Wilson's coach with the Wisconsin Badgers in 2011, didn't see coming.
"The part that amazes me from Day 1 to what I have seen today is his ability to make something of nothing," Bielema told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "That's a classic example of a play having a design to do a certain thing, and the defense doing a great countermove to take it away, and yet he still had an answer. Those are improv plays — not only has he done them all along — but he seems to get better at them as time goes on."
The main criticism levied at Wilson is that he is merely another talented piece on an excellent team. Detractors say he's a game manager, a label that carries more condescension than praise. But two traits distinguish him: his ability to improvise and his efficiency. He'll likely need both skills if the Seahawks are to successfully repeat as Super Bowl champions by beating the New England Patriots on Sunday.
"I visualize success every day," Wilson said. "I never visualize failure, and I visualize being at the top every time — that's just my mindset. I never waver from that, and I think that's a credit to my parents and, really, how they raised me. They used to teach me the discipline of getting up early in the morning, the discipline of doing things the right way, and the discipline of loving the people that you have around you."
Wilson hasn't posted gaudy passing numbers. His 3,475 yards in 2014 ranked 15th in the NFL, and his 20 TD passes were eclipsed by 15 quarterbacks. But Wilson does bring an added dimension, his 849 rushing yards easily the most at his position, and he rarely makes mistakes.
"He has the ability to run a 4.4 (40-yard dash), and he makes great decisions," Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. "He makes great decisions on when to pull it, and he also makes great decisions when, 'OK, I have enough yards, maybe it is time to get down or get out of bounds.' "
That's not to mention what Wilson brings to the huddle and locker room.
"He's a perfect fit for us," said Seattle coach Pete Carroll.
Wilson already has what many quarterbacks search for their entire careers: pocket awareness. He seems to know the perfect moment when the bubble is about to burst and can ad lib with his legs. While some mobile quarterbacks leave the pocket looking to run, Wilson — more often than not — wants to pass. It makes life a lot easier on his receivers.
"You got to find him, and then you just find an open area for him," Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said. "That's all it takes."
When it comes to Wilson's efficiency, it's nothing new. He set the NCAA's single-season record for passing rating under Bielema in 2011. His passer rating in three NFL seasons is 98.5. Super Bowl counterpart Tom Brady's career mark is 95.9.
"We've always kind of wanted our quarterback to kind of be the point guard and distribute the ball to different players, and Russell has been fantastic in doing that," Carroll said.
Wilson's 36 regular-season victories are the most ever by a third-year quarterback. He's 6-1 in postseason.
In fairness to the critics, Wilson has enjoyed a stellar supporting cast. The team's defense is its strength and running back Marshawn Lynch is the heart of the offense.
But it's still safe to say Wilson is one of the league's most dynamic players, and it's his improvisation and drive that could eventually make him one of the game's greatest.
"The bottom line is winning games, and that is what Russell does," Bevell said. "At this point in time, he is the winningest quarterback in the history of the league. And if he is able to add Super Bowls, he is going to have to be in that conversation."
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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes
