Columnist Andrew Jones is of the opinion that it is in Freshman All-American QB Russell Wilson’s best interests to drop football and concentrate on baseball exclusively:
He is just 5-foot-10, and with three football injuries on his 2008 resume, focusing just on baseball might be a wise decision for his future. Practice begins in a few weeks, and while Wilson won’t be ready immediately – NCSU officials say it all depends on the early healing process as to when he’ll be ready, so there’s no official time table – he will eventually factor in State’s plans.
A decision to walk away from football will devastate many Wolfpack fans, as the program has struggled to find a competent quarterback since Philip Rivers left in 2003. But it’s probably the best thing for Wilson and his family, and that is what matters most.
I’m sure that there are a lot of fans of other ACC teams that would be completely happy for Russell Wilson to focus exclusively on baseball and not to spend next season giving their favorite team’s defense a fit. The scenario that Jones discusses has certainly made its way around the rumor mill since the end of the regular season, but no concrete decision and no other items seem to indicate that Wilson plans to hang his football cleats up this spring or anytime soon. Conventional wisdom is that Wilson enjoys playing both sports; but conventional wisdom also is that Russell is a highly mature and intelligent young man who generally makes fantastic decisions.
One thing is for certain – with a healthy Russell Wilson under center and Mike Glennon developing at a nice pace, the Wolfpack offense is a threat to any team on the schedule. If Wilson does play football next year and remains healthy the Wolfpack has a legitimate shot to compete for an ACC Championship and resulting BCS Bowl berth next year.
