Did Russell Wilson Play Baseball?
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Many people are familiar with Russell Wilson as the NFL quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, but did you know that he also played baseball? In this blog post, we’ll take a look at his baseball career and what might have been had he stuck with it.
Who is Russell Wilson?
Russell Wilson is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a junior, he led the Badgers to the 2010 Big Ten Championship Game. In the NFL, Wilson has made five Pro Bowl appearances, led his team to six NFC West division championships, and has appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one.
A brief overview of his life and career
Russell Wilson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 29, 1988. He was a standout baseball and football player at Collegiate School in Richmond, Virginia. Wilson played minor league baseball for the Tri-City Dust Devils in 2010 and 2011 before he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Wilson became the Seahawks’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season and helped lead the team to a 13-3 record and an appearance in Super Bowl XLVIII. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Year for his play during the 2013 season.
Wilson has led the Seahawks to six NFC West division titles (2012-2016, 2018), five straight appearances in the NFC Championship Game (2013-2017), and a victory in Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos. He holds several franchise records, including career passing yards (28,734) and touchdown passes (206).
What sport did Russell Wilson play?
Russell Wilson is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL).Wilson played college football for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Prior to playing football, Wilson also played baseball for the Class-A Asheville Tourists as a second baseman.
Baseball
Russell Wilson played baseball in high school and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 41st round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. He did not sign with the Orioles and instead chose to play college football.
Football
Russell Wilson did not play baseball. He played football and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Why did Russell Wilson stop playing baseball?
Russell Wilson played baseball before he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He played two seasons of minor league baseball before he decided to focus on football full-time. So, why did Russell Wilson stop playing baseball?
The Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.Wilson played college baseball for North Carolina State University. In 2011, while still in college, he played in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Harwich Mariners. In 2012 Wilson played Class A-Advanced minor league baseball for the Asheville Tourists and hit five home runs with 26 RBIs along with 19 stolen bases.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round (75th overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he tied Peyton Manning’s NFL record for most passing touchdowns by a rookie (26) and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month in November 2012. In 2013, he led the Seahawks to their first ever Super Bowl appearance by defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, becoming only the second African-American quarterback to win a Super Bowl after Doug Williams did so in 1988.
The Chicago Cubs
Russell Wilson was a highly touted draft pick by the Colorado Rockies in 2010, but he was quickly scooped up by the Seattle Mariners in the Rule 5 draft. He made his Major League Baseball debut with the Mariners in 2013, but was traded to the Texas Rangers mid-season. He played in the Rangers’ minor league system for a short time before being released.
In December 2013, Wilson signed a four-year, $87.6 million contract with the Seahawks. The deal included a $5 million signing bonus and $31 million in guaranteed money. The contract made him the second-highest paid player in Seahawks history, behind only quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
The Seahawks announced that Wilson had been diagnosed with Adenocarcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in April 2014. He underwent treatment and was declared cancer-free less than two months later.
During his time with the Seahawks, Wilson has led the team to six playoff appearances, including two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl victory.
What would have happened if Russell Wilson had not stopped playing baseball?
Russell Wilson is a great baseball player. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. He played college baseball for the University of Richmond. Wilson has said that he chose to stop playing baseball so that he could focus on football. If he had not stopped playing baseball, he would have been a great player.
He would have been a successful baseball player
It’s impossible to say for certain, but it’s likely that Russell Wilson would have been a successful baseball player if he had not decided to pursue football. Wilson was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2010, and he played Minor League Baseball for two years before deciding to focus on football.
During his time in the Minor League, Wilson demonstrated his talent as a player and his potential to be successful at the Major League level. In 2012, he was named the Southern League’s Most Outstanding Pitcher after posting a record of 14-5 with a 2.43 ERA in 28 games (27 starts).
If Wilson had not decided to focus on football, it’s likely that he would have eventually made it to the Major Leagues and had a successful career as a baseball player.
He would have been a successful football player
While it’s impossible to know exactly what would have happened if Wilson had not stopped playing baseball, it’s likely that he would have been a successful football player. Wilson was a highly touted baseball prospect and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2001 MLB Draft. However, Wilson chose to pursue football and ultimately attended college at North Carolina State University.
During his time at NC State, Wilson was a two-sport athlete, playing both football and baseball. He was eventually drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Since then, Wilson has been one of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL, leading the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title in 2013 and being named Super Bowl MVP.
So while we’ll never know exactly what would have happened if Russell Wilson had not stopped playing baseball, it’s clear that he made the right decision for his career.
