Quarterback Russell Wilson’s life and career were built brick by brick on his father’s sacrifices and lessons. Long before he helped the Seattle Seahawks win their first-ever Super Bowl, it was his father who ensured his son got the very best. Recounting a childhood incident, the signal caller revealed why his old man worked at a gas station despite being a full-time lawyer. Wilson says the story rooted in sacrifice still drives him today.

“I go home to my dad. I’m like devastated…I’m like, ‘Dad, you work at the gas station?’ He goes, ‘Yes, son…I’m working extra hours.’” he said on the Good Inside podcast. I said, ‘Why?’ He goes, ‘You want to go to a great school, right? Like, you want to go do all the things you want to do. I got to do extra for you guys. I’m doing anything for you.’ And I remember him saying, ‘I got to buy those books.’”

Russell Wilson’s confrontation with his father, Harrison Wilson, at home followed a painful childhood incident. It all happened when a classmate told him about his dad’s other job, which embarrassed and confused him. After all, he attended a wealthy private school and was one of the few African-American students there. Had his father not been a lawyer, he wouldn’t have been there.

To cover up, Russell even lied that his dad must have been investigating the site. Later, his dad’s response stayed with him forever. Moreover, Wilson revealed how both his parents went the extra mile so that he could play multiple sports. Whether it was purchasing a bat or an A2000 glove from DICK’s Sporting Goods, new Nike cleats, or the Wilson football, Harrison worked longer hours to make it happen. 

“I didn’t understand that at the time, but he sacrificed. My mom [Tammy, nurse by profession], same thing,” he added. “…That’s taught me a lot about sacrifice, and sometimes sacrifice in my situation is different. And I just feel like at times, no matter how much we have or how little we have, there’s a point in time that parenthood is all about sacrifice.”

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Giving your child a better life than yours is the takeaway that remains with Wilson to date. Harrison’s focus on his kids’ education and other career endeavors stems from his own experience.

He was a former All-Ivy League wide receiver and baseball player at Dartmouth. He later earned a law degree from the University of Virginia and started working. Above all, he took an active role in the development of Russell and his brother, Harry.

Those sacrifices stayed with Russell Wilson long after he grew up, so much so that he named his son Win Harrison Wilson, a quiet tribute to the man who shaped everything. Before Harrison Wilson passed away in June 2010, he filled his son’s world with belief. He taught Russell to dream louder than the doubt around him.

“My dad, when I was young, he always inspired me,” Wilson said in a previous interview. “He used to always ask me the question, ‘Son, why not you? Why don’t you play pro baseball? Why don’t you play pro football?’ The idea of ‘Why not you?’ was really at the center of who I was. I started really subconsciously and consciously asking myself that question.”

In fact, Harrison would run mock interviews in the car after games, pretending Russell had just won the Super Bowl. Other times, it was a simple home ride, with a reminder.

“My dad just told me in the car, ‘You can go however far you wanna go,'” Russell said, recalling a ride home when he was about 10 years old and had just hit for the cycle. “Why not you? That was a fun time in my life because I got to play the game I love, I was young, and I had these big, big dreams. I used to write them on my wall.”

Those dreams fulfilled, and the sacrifices paid off.

How Russell Wilson established himself among the NFL’s elite

Just one day after the Colorado Rockies picked Russell Wilson in the 2010 MLB Draft, Harrison died of diabetes at age 55. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see his son’s successful NFL career, which began just two years later.

In 2012, the Seahawks picked him in the third round, and he didn’t disappoint. He posted one of the strongest rookie seasons in league history, breaking the franchise debut record with  3,118 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. His second sterling season proved that his first one was not just sheer luck. He led his team to a 13-3 regular-season finish and capped the campaign with a Super Bowl title.

Moreover, he became the fourth quarterback in the NFL to win a championship in his second season. During his ten seasons with Seattle, he delivered elite production almost every year. His career-best season came in 2020 when he threw for 4,212 yards and 40 touchdowns with a 68.8% completion rate. Overall, he earned ten Pro Bowl honors and the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, among many other accolades.

Since exiting Seattle in 2022, he has played for the Broncos, Steelers, and most recently, the Giants. As a free agent now, he’s seeking a fresh start for his 15th season in the league. He’s also pursuing other ventures in the meantime.

“I’m not blinking,” Wilson said in January via SNY. “I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, and I want to be able to do that again. You know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”

Despite a hamstring injury limiting him to six games last year, Russell Wilson thinks he still has some fuel left in his tank.