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On the Move: N.C. State's Wilson stays busy thanks to playing quarterback and being on the baseball team
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Quarterback Russell Wilson was the rookie of the year in the ACC last season.
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Published: August 20, 2009
RALEIGH - Russell Wilson seems to always be on the move at N.C. State, no matter what time of the year.
He cuts a path through campus every day, the human equivalent of a tornado that moves but does no damage. If he's not in a classroom, he's headed to the football field or the baseball diamond, always with something to do.
Tom O'Brien, the N.C. State football coach, said that the best description of Wilson is that he has plans on top of plans.
And with the start of football season less than three weeks away, many of those plans are going into effect for Wilson and for his team.
"I definitely have to tell myself to relax sometimes and take a deep breath," Wilson said. "A lot of things come up on my plate, if it's on the field or outside the field, with all the things that are going on in my life.
"I just have to take a deep breath and focus on the people that truly love me and truly care about me and talk to them, if I need somebody to talk to."
Wilson will begin his second season as N.C. State's starting quarterback on Sept. 3 in the opener against South Carolina. He will enter the season having thrown his last 249 passes without being intercepted, a streak of accuracy that defined a remarkable redshirt-freshman debut.
He led the ACC in total offense with an average of 213 yards, in touchdown passes with 17, and in passing efficiency. He was the first freshman named the All-ACC quarterback, and was named rookie of the year as well.
Coach Bobby Bowden of Florida State said that only one quarterback in the ACC has all the qualities needed to turn a team into a national contender: Russell Wilson.
"He's the most-dangerous quarterback I saw last year," Bowden said. "And he might be the most-dangerous quarterback in the country. I think the best way to stop him is trying to play about 14 guys (on defense) at one time."
Part of Wilson's success stems from his athletic ability, the talent and quickness and mobility that helped him to also play second base on the N.C. State baseball team last season, hitting .296.
And another part comes from his family's influence, especially that of his father, when growing up in Richmond Va., and playing at Collegiate High School. With the help of his father, Wilson developed a very specific attitude about playing sports, one that he credits for helping him last season in football.
"I just try to stay in the moment of ‘that' play," he said. "Worry about the now and don't focus on anything else. The now will lead to the positive and the future. It's something I have to keep working on and maturing on in every aspect of my life."
Wilson used the principle on every pass play last season. If no receivers were open, he didn't wait. He threw the ball away and didn't force a pass into coverage or give the defense time to get a sack.
"I'm just working hard to be the best at whatever it is I'm doing in life," Wilson said. "I want to be a professional athlete. Don't worry about the play before and don't worry about the next play. That play right there can be the touchdown or that pitch can be the home run or the game-winning base hit or the ground ball right to you.
"If it's schoolwork, that sentence the teacher lays out for you could be the answer to the test. All of that stuff is important and that's what I try to work on. Of course, you're going to fall short sometimes, but if you have that as your main goal, it gives you a little more chance to be successful."
Wilson is confident that he can better last season's performance. When he reaches the line of scrimmage, he believes he will have a better idea of what the defense is going to do to stop him. He also believes that he will better understand the play that was called, and how to execute it.
O'Brien has seldom seen any football player as organized as Wilson, and said that Wilson's discipline is crucial to his success.
"I try to be organized in every facet of my life as much as possible," Wilson said. "That organizational level helps you focus on the ‘now.' It helps you focus and not worry about the things that are on the outside.
"If I'm not organized in school and I'm not doing well in school, it will hurt me in football or baseball or whatever. I'd have to worry about too many things. If you're organized and focused on the right things, it definitely helps you be successful."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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