Russell Wilson

Background

Russell Carrington Wilson is an American football player whose skills and affectionate personality have won him fans worldwide. He is a Sagittarius born on November 29, 1988, in Cincinnati but was raised in Richmond, Virginia. Wilson’s mother is a nurse director, while his father is a lawyer. He’s of African and European descent, and he has two siblings. Wilson began playing football with his father and brother at age four. His first organized game was when he was in the sixth grade. He attended Collegiate School and was twice named Player of the Year by the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In his high school senior year, he was named conference player of the year and got featured in Sports Illustrated magazine. Although he received football scholarships, he chose to attend North Carolina State University.

From 2008 to 2010, Wilson played college football and baseball at North Carolina State University. He then transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011 and set the single-season F.B.S. record for passing efficiency (191.8). Wilson’s professional career began with the 2012 N.F.L. Draft, but he wasn’t picked in the first round because of his height. He was eventually selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round as the team’s sixth quarterback. He signed a four-year contract worth $2.99 million with the team in May 2012. Wilson made his debut in August against the Tennessee Titans. He performed well that season and received a $222,000 bonus check and $169,141 the following season after his Super Bowl win. Wilson was setting new records, scoring touchdowns, and leading his team to victory. The Seahawks advanced to the Super Bowl as the defending champions the following season. In 2015, his contract with the team was extended to $87.6 million for another four years.

In 2016, Wilson was drafted by Team Irvin in the Pro Bowl Draft and was named Pro Bowl Offensive M.V.P. after a 143.9 rating. In 2019, he signed another four-year contract extension, worth $140 million, with the Seahawks. Wilson was to remain with the Seahawks until the 2023 season but was traded to the Denver Broncos in March 2022. As a highly successful athlete, Wilson’s personal life has been made public. He married his high school sweetheart, Ashton Meem, in 2012, but they divorced in 2014. In 2016, he was engaged to and married to singer Ciara. The pair have two biological children together, but he is a stepfather to Ciara’s son with Future.