Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, walked to the baseball diamond for batting practice on Monday dressed in vintage Yankee pinstripes. Wilson was dealt from Texas to New York for future considerations on February 7 and has joined his new team for six days of spring training in Tampa, Florida.
“It’s an honor to be here,” Wilson told reporters before his first practice. “What excites me the most is knowing about the Yankees and how they’ve won 27 world titles. Consider 27 world championships and the mentality that goes with it. There’s a fragrance about here that I need to figure out, and I’m excited to learn more about it and apply it to my football career.”
Wilson has made it clear that NFL football and the Seattle Seahawks are his top priorities, so why is there so much hype? “Some people, like me, are confused: ‘Is this simply a stunt?'” “They don’t know me,” Wilson told USA TODAY during his Monday press conference. “If you really know me, baseball is in my blood. It’s part of who I am, where I came from, and what I’ve accomplished.”
Wilson played baseball in college, spent some time in the minor leagues, and is a self-proclaimed Yankee fan. He’s discovered methods to apply everything he’s learned from the sport to advance his football career. “You see me create plays on the football field, and a lot of stuff is directly related to baseball,” Wilson explained. “You need to make a play in the fourth quarter, stay calm, come back from 21 points down, and find a way to win; this is where it comes from. “I want to return to my roots.”
After his six days of baseball in Tampa, Wilson will most likely return home and refocus his energies on leading the Seahawks to another championship. But forNow it’s all about the long ball.
