Russell Wilson Biography 2024: Age, Relationship, Height,Net Worth, Family, Education, Personal Life, Football Career, NFL Stats and Awards

Russell Wilson, born on November 29, 1988, is an esteemed American football quarterback currently playing for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL).

Prior to joining the Broncos, he spent an impressive decade with the Seattle Seahawks. Wilson’s exceptional skills have earned him recognition as one of the most exceptional dual-threat quarterbacks in the history of the sport.

Wilson participated in college football and baseball at NC State from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to Wisconsin in 2011. During his time at Wisconsin, he achieved the remarkable feat of setting the single-season FBS record for passer rating.

Additionally, he led the team to a Big Ten title and guided them to victory in the 2012 Rose Bowl. Wilson’s athletic abilities were not limited to football, as he also played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and the Asheville Tourists in 2011, showcasing his skills as a second baseman.

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In the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round with the 75th overall pick. He quickly made an impact in his rookie season, tying Peyton Manning’s then-record for the most passing touchdowns by a rookie.

This outstanding performance earned him the prestigious title of Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. Throughout his career, Wilson has been recognized for his exceptional skills, earning a remarkable nine Pro Bowl selections.

He played a pivotal role in leading the Seahawks to two consecutive Super Bowls, with the team emerging victorious in Super Bowl XLVIII. However, they faced defeat in Super Bowl XLIX when Wilson’s pass was intercepted at the goal line by Malcolm Butler.

Wilson’s achievements extend beyond individual accolades and team success. He holds the impressive record for the most wins by an NFL quarterback in their first nine seasons. Furthermore, he is one of only four quarterbacks in NFL history to maintain a career passer rating over 100.

In April 2019, Wilson solidified his status as one of the league’s top players by signing a lucrative four-year, $140 million contract extension with the Seahawks, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL at that time.

The following year, in 2020, he joined an elite group of quarterbacks by throwing for thirty touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, a feat achieved by only three others in NFL history.

However, Wilson’s journey took an unexpected turn in 2022 when he was traded to the Denver Broncos. Following the trade, he signed a substantial five-year, $245 million contract extension.

Unfortunately, his time with the Broncos was marred by disappointment, as the team struggled with the worst scoring offense in the league during the 2022 season. As a result, Wilson was benched for the final two games of the 2023 season.

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Wilson is part owner of the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). After he purchased his minority stake, the Sounders won the 2019 MLS Cup.

Early Life and Background

Wilson was born in Cincinnati at The Christ Hospital and raised in Richmond, Virginia.

His parents are Harrison Benjamin Wilson III, a lawyer, and Tammy Wilson (née Turner), a nurse director. He has an older brother, Harrison IV, and a younger sister, Anna.

Wilson began playing football with his father and brother when he was four years old, and he participated in his first organized game for the Tuckahoe Tomahawks youth football team in sixth grade.

Wilson’s great-great-grandfather was enslaved to a Confederate colonel and gained freedom after the American Civil War.

His paternal grandfather, Harrison B. Wilson Jr., was a former president of Norfolk State University who excelled in football and basketball at Kentucky State University.

Wilson’s paternal grandmother, Anna W. Wilson, was a faculty member at Jackson State University. Wilson’s maternal grandfather was the renowned painter A. B. Jackson.

Genetic admixture analysis reveals that Wilson is 62% African, 36% European, 1% West Asian, and 1% Central Asian.

His European family lineage can be traced back to 524 A.D. to Saint Arnulf of Metz through Charlemagne.

Wilson also mentions having some Native American heritage, although he has not specified the tribe.

Wilson’s father was involved in football and baseball at Dartmouth and served as a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers preseason squad in 1980.

His brother, Harry, participated in football and baseball at the University of Richmond, while his sister Anna played basketball at Stanford.

On June 9, 2010, Wilson’s father passed away due to complications from diabetes at the age of 55, just a day after Wilson was drafted by the Rockies.

High School Career

Wilson was a student at Collegiate School, a preparatory school located in Richmond, Virginia.

In his junior year in 2005, he showcased his exceptional skills by throwing for 3,287 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns. Additionally, he rushed for 634 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns.

Wilson’s outstanding performance earned him recognition as an all-district, all-region, and all-state player. Moreover, he was honored as the Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year on two occasions.

During his senior year, Wilson continued to impress with his abilities. He threw for 3,009 passing yards, 34 passing touchdowns, and only seven interceptions.

Furthermore, he showcased his agility by rushing for 1,132 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns.

As a result of his remarkable achievements, he was named an all-conference and all-state player, as well as the conference player of the year.

Wilson’s exceptional performance in the state championship game win even caught the attention of Sports Illustrated, which featured him in their publication. Notably, he also served as the senior class president.

While attending high school, Wilson had the opportunity to participate in the Manning Passing Academy, a summer football clinic organized by Peyton Manning, a multiple NFL MVP winner and future Hall of Fame quarterback.

This encounter proved to be significant, as Manning remembered Wilson years later when the latter visited Denver to discuss the possibility of being drafted by the Denver Broncos, a team Manning had recently joined.

In addition to his achievements in football, Wilson was also a member of the Collegiate School basketball and baseball teams.

Wilson committed to North Carolina State University on July 23, 2006. He also received a football scholarship offer from Duke University.

College Football Career

Wilson was redshirted in 2007 at NC State. In 2008, he shared quarterback duties with Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck initially.

However, Evans and Beck did not play after Week 2 and Week 5, respectively. Wilson then led the team to a 4-3 record in the regular season, finishing with a four-game winning streak.

In a 30-24 victory over East Carolina, Wilson threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns. He threw two touchdowns in each of the last six regular season games.

During the 2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl against Rutgers, Wilson threw for 186 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 46 yards before halftime.

He suffered a knee sprain late in the first half and did not return to the game. His replacements threw a total of three interceptions, leading to NC State’s 29-23 loss.

Throughout the season, Wilson completed 150 of 275 attempts for 1,955 yards and 17 touchdowns with only one interception. He also rushed for 394 yards and four touchdowns on 116 carries.

Wilson was named the first-team All-ACC quarterback by the Atlantic Coast Conference, marking the first time a freshman quarterback received this honor in conference history.

Professional Football Career

Wilson commenced his training for the NFL Scouting Combine on January 16, 2012, at the IMG Madden Football Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Before the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson was anticipated to be a middle-round pick by NFL scouts and analysts.

In February 2012, Chris Weinke, a former NFL quarterback and director of the IMG Madden Football Academy, remarked that if Wilson were 6-5, he would likely be the top pick in the draft.

On April 11, 2012, Jon Gruden, an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst, pointed out that the main concern with Russell Wilson is his height, which could be the reason for not being selected in the early rounds.

Wilson was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft, making him the sixth quarterback to be selected.

The Seahawks faced significant criticism for their draft choices, especially Wilson, as they had recently signed free agent Matt Flynn.

However, two weeks later, Wilson signed a four-year, $2.99 million contract with the Seahawks on May 7, 2012.

Wilson’s first appearance in the preseason was against the Tennessee Titans on August 11, 2012, and he made his first preseason start on August 24 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Following a competition with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson for the starting quarterback position, Wilson was named the starting quarterback for the first regular season game on August 26, 2012.

On September 9, 2012, Wilson made his regular season debut in a 20-16 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

He completed 18 passes out of 34 attempts for 153 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In the third regular season game, the Seahawks secured a 14-12 victory over the Green Bay Packers with a controversial Hail Mary touchdown pass to Golden Tate.

The disputed decision made by the replacement officials on that play was widely seen as the turning point that led to an agreement to end the referee lockout.

Denver Broncos

On March 16, 2022, the Broncos acquired Wilson and a fourth-round pick from the Seahawks in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant.

According to teammates, the trade was inevitable as Wilson disengaged from the team and lost focus midway through the season. Seahawks chairperson Jody Allen issued a statement indicating that Wilson was the one who initiated the trade.

The Seahawks stated that Wilson was unhappy with the team’s decision to fire offensive line coach Mike Solari and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Wilson, on the other hand, claimed that although he didn’t initiate the trade, it was a mutual decision.

Before his departure from the Seahawks, Wilson allegedly requested the firing of coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider, an accusation that Wilson denied.

On September 1, 2022, Wilson penned a five-year, $245 million contract extension with the Broncos.

After the bye week, Wilson demonstrated his skills by completing 24 out of 29 passes for 193 yards and scoring two touchdowns, leading his team to a narrow 24-22 victory against the Bills.

In Week 11, he continued his impressive performance by going 27 of 35 for 259 yards and throwing a game-winning touchdown to Courtland Sutton, securing a 21-20 victory against the Vikings.

However, following consecutive losses to the Lions and Patriots in Weeks 15 and 16, the Broncos made the decision to bench Wilson for the final two games of the season in order to maintain their financial flexibility.

Looking ahead, on March 4, 2024, the Broncos announced that Wilson would be released on March 13, coinciding with the start of the new league year.

NFL records

Awards and honors

Personal Life

Wilson’s first marriage was to Ashton Meem, whom he met while they were both high school students. They got married in January 2012 but later divorced in April 2014.

Wilson is currently married to American R&B singer Ciara. They started dating in early 2015 and got engaged on March 11, 2016. The couple tied the knot on July 6, 2016, at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire, England.

They have a stepson from Ciara’s previous relationship with Future, and their first daughter was born on April 28, 2017. Their son was born on July 23, 2020, and their second daughter was born on December 11, 2023.

During his time with the Seahawks, Wilson and Ciara resided in Bellevue, Washington, before selling their home in April 2022 for $36 million.

In the same year, they bought a house in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, for $25 million, marking the most expensive home purchase in the Denver metropolitan area. Wilson also owns a property in San Diego.

A devout Christian, Wilson often shares about his faith on social media. He and Ciara made a commitment to remain celibate until they were married.

As of October 2016, Wilson’s net worth is estimated to be $120 million.

Wilson’s younger sister Anna played basketball at Stanford.

In September 2021, Wilson and Ciara revealed their collaboration on a children’s book titled Why Not You?

The book, co-written with JaNay Brown-Wood, was published by Random House and hit the shelves on March 1, 2022.

It received a starred review from the School Library Journal and became a New York Times bestseller.