Russell Wilson: A Junior Varsity Quarterback’s Hero
Hello Readers,
My name is William Noglows, and I
am proud to join Chris and PJ on the Ice Bath Report. I am a
three year Varsity Football Letterman. I know what it’s like to be at the bottom
of a pile after a fumble, to call an audible at the line of scrimmage when
noticing the defense brought down a safety into the box, and the feeling of
throwing the game winning touchdown passes.
I also know that I am lying
through my teeth right now. My real high school football career comprised of me
holding kicks, getting obliterated while forming the wedge during kick returns,
and missing tackles on the punt team. People called me the Steve Tasker of my
generation (Put him in the HOF!) One more thing, I am regarded as the most
electrifying JV Quarterback in my high school’s history, and it was me, not
RGIII or Russell Wilson, that brought back the read-option to football.
Due to my extreme bias for the
Giants, this article will exclude RGIII as a renaissance man of the
read-option. Actually, I just don’t feeling like thinking of all the ways that
Robert Griffin will make life living hell for Giants fans during the next 15
years. So I will instead talk about a quarterback who I enjoy watching every Sunday,
and thankfully only plays the Giants once every three years. Russell Wilson.
It’s funny to think that Russell
Wilson was supposed to be either Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin’s back up. Both
Ryan Grigson of the Colts and Bruce Allen of the Redskins admitted that if
Wilson were available at either pick 92 or 102, they would have taken him. If
this actually happened, Russell Wilson would have been remembered as the next
Jim Sorgi (career backup to Peyton Manning). Thankfully, the Seahawks snagged
America’s Favorite Underdog at pick 75.
It is easy to see why so many
teams doubted Wilson at the start. Standing at only 5 foot 10, the only thing
that separates Wilson and myself is 1 inch and 1 playoff victory (regular
season victories mean nothing in the NFL nowadays, just ask Matt Ryan). Mel
Kiper Jr was quoted saying: “He can throw on the move and is
a good leader… but at fewer than six feet, it'll hurt him and push him way down
the board.” Wilson was a quarterback of a different breed, much like,
dare I say it, Tim Tebow. Unsurprisingly, this scared the shit out of most GMs.
But then came the Seattle Seahawks
and their vicious defense, and Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch running the
read-option (and Sidney Rice dropping many passes). Unless you have been living
under a rock these past few weeks, you know that before this weekend, the
Seahawks had taken the NFL by storm, and Wilson propelled himself to the top of
the Rookie of the Year ballot. While Wilson was getting it done with his arm
(most touchdowns ever thrown by a rookie) and his legs (5.2 yards per rush), it
was what everyone noticed at first that led his team to the playoffs. His
unselfishness and leadership.
I was lucky enough to watch Wilson
play in his first playoff game against the Redskins. Wilson absolutely thrashed
the Skins throughout the entire game, but what I remember most is not a pass or
run by him, but a block. After handing the ball off to Marshawn Lynch on a
read-option run, Wilson sprinted 25 yards downfield to block a defensive back,
allowing Lynch to score a touchdown. I don’t ever remember seeing a quarterback do this. This is what makes Russell Wilson so special. This is what makes
him every JV Quarterback’s hero.
-William Noglows
Follow Will @WilliamNoglows
Follow the IceBath team @IceBathReport
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