“My Rookie MLB Card”: ‘2B’ Russell Wilson Reminisces His Baseball Days, as He Fights for His Job in Denver

Russell Wilson is one the most talented QBs the NFL has seen to date. The Broncos’ signal-caller has racked up a reputation as a force on the gridiron. However, football was not the only sport he was good at. Like the prolific Patrick Mahomes, Wilson was a talented baseball player too. Though, unlike Mahomes, Wilson actually played professional baseball as a second baseman.

Wilson is going through a rough patch in his NFL career. His debut season with the Broncos has been a disaster, and he has been getting a lot of flak for being so underwhelming on the gridiron. It is during this crisis, that he shared a picture of his rookie MLB card, from back when he played for the Colorado Rockies. It seems he might just be looking back to the good old days.

Russell Wilson goes down memory lane by sharing an image of his rookie MLB card

Wilson took to Instagram to share a picture of his MLB card from back when he was a rookie with the Rockies. In the story, he wrote, “My rookie MLB card. Drafter 13 years ago today! June 8, 2010. Note to self: ‘Your best days ahead!'”.  It seems the Broncos signal caller wants to remind himself that things will definitely take a turn for the better. They have to if he wants to keep playing in Denver.

Ma man goin through the good old days..you’ll be back stronger than ever pic.twitter.com/eejFjSOVWc

— broady (@broadyboy101) June 10, 2023

‘DangeRuss’ was first drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2007, but chose to attend NC State instead. He felt that a college education would last forever just in case he did not make it. Then again in 2010, he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies. His first professional season was with the Tri-City Dust Devils, then played another season for the Ashville Tourists, before pursuing a career in the NFL.

The 2013 Rule 5 Draft saw him being traded from the Rockies to the Texas Rangers. Instead of ignoring this, Wilson attended spring training for the Rangers, right after he won Super Bowl XLVII. However, he did not play in any games for the Rangers, and in 2018 was traded to the New York Yankees for a very special reason.

Wilson’s late father was a die-hard Yankees fan, and it seems Wilson had promised him that he would one day wear the Yankees uniform. Wearing the no. 73, Wilson got his debut for the Yankees by working a 2-2 count and getting struck out while swinging. Though, the experience was enough for Wilson. Hearing the crowd cheering for him was all he needed from that game.

Wilson will need to play better to have the Denver crowd cheer for him this year

Russell Wilson will undoubtedly want to win the love of the Broncos Country. To do that, though, he will have to significantly improve his performance this season. Though many say that it will be difficult for Wilson to change his ways, he is already making an effort. This offseason, he has been rather quiet, instead choosing to keep a low profile as they head into this season.

Reportedly, he is all set to face this season, with a massive change in his physical stature and his conditioning. He himself says that he is “better than ever”, which could be a good sign for the Broncos. With head coach Sean Payton taking charge this year, Wilson could make a comeback of dreams. Will Wilson retain his spot as QB#1 in Denver? Or will he have to make way for others to shine?

About the author

Arjun Sukumaran

Arjun Sukumaran is a writing consultant for NFL here at the SportsRush. A Mechanical Engineering graduate, his debating stints from his college days have become part and parcel of his life. He loves cheeseburgers, so naturally, he loves the Kansas City Chiefs. And you can definitely count him in the group of people claiming Patrick Mahomes to be the next big thing. When he is not wearing the Kansas Red and Gold, he can be spotted proudly sporting the Red and White of Manchester United, or the iconic Red Bull Blue.

Read More