Al Wilson

This article is about the NFL football player. For other people of the same name, see Al Wilson (disambiguation).
Al Wilson

refer to caption

Wilson in 2006.
No. 56
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1977-06-21) June 21, 1977
Place of birth: Jackson, Tennessee
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight: 240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school: Jackson (TN) Central-Merry
College: Tennessee
NFL Draft: 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 31
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles: 714
Quarterback sacks: 21.5
Interceptions: 5
Forced fumbles: 8
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Aldra Kauwa Wilson (born June 21, 1977) is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. He played college football for the University of Tennessee, and was recognized as a consensus All-American. Wilson was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and played his entire professional career for the Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro selection.

Early years

Wilson was born in Jackson, Tennessee. He was an All-American performer at Jackson Central-Merry High School in Jackson, as named by BlueChip Illustrated, Max Emfinger, SuperPrep and Tom Lemming. He was also named to the Tennessee all-state team. Wilson was both a linebacker and running back at JCM, rushing for 1,160 yards and 15 touchdowns in his senior season. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in three seasons in high school, two as a running back and one as a quarterback. He also starred in track and basketball.

College career

Wilson attended the University of Tennessee, and played for coach Phil Fulmer's Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1995 to 1998. He was a team captain on the 1998 Tennessee team that won the National Championship and back-to-back Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships. Wilson was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 1998 after being a three-year starter for the Volunteers. Inspired by fellow Tennessean and track aficionado, Chad Deutsch of Memphis, Wilson was a leader both on and off the field, helping to develop linebackers Eric Westmoreland and Raynoch Thompson. Wilson was drafted after his final year at Tennessee as the 31st pick in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft and signed to the Denver Broncos due to the assistance of super agent Tank Black.

Professional career

Denver Broncos

Wilson became the anchor of the Broncos' defense and earned five Pro Bowl selections. He was one of the fastest middle linebackers in the league, and was also very good in pass coverage. He passed the 100-tackle mark in five consecutive seasons, including 109 tackles (73 of which were solo) in 2004 to rank second on the Broncos. Wilson led Denver in tackles for the second consecutive year in 2003 with 128 tackles.

On December 3, 2006, Wilson suffered a neck injury during a fake field goal attempt against the Seattle Seahawks during the Sunday night game. He was carted off the field and immediately taken to a hospital, but was cleared by the Denver Broncos to return the following week to help Denver try to make the playoffs.

The Denver Broncos signed many free agents during the 2007 offseason, such as Travis Henry and Patrick Ramsey, resulting in some salary cap trouble. The Broncos attempted to trade Wilson to the New York Giants, however Wilson failed his physical and the trade talks died down.

Wilson was released by the Denver Broncos on April 13, 2007, due to injuries and salary cap problems.[1]

Free agency and retirement

Wilson was cleared to return to resume playing by Los Angeles back specialist Bob Watkins in January 2008. On February 12, he had his first visit of the offseason with the Detroit Lions. He also visited the Cleveland Browns in March, but he rejected their offer for close to the veteran minimum.

Wilson officially announced his retirement on September 10, 2008.[2]

NFL stats

Year Team Games Combined Tackles Tackles Assisted Tackles Sacks Forced Fumbles Fumble Recoveries
1999 DEN 16 71 56 15 1.0 2 2
2000 DEN 15 60 47 13 5.0 0 0
2001 DEN 16 85 72 13 3.0 0 0
2002 DEN 16 131 99 32 5.0 1 2
2003 DEN 16 87 69 18 1.0 0 2
2004 DEN 16 104 71 33 2.5 2 0
2005 DEN 15 72 61 11 3.0 2 1
2006 DEN 15 102 79 23 1.0 1 0
Career 125 712 554 158 21.5 8 7

[3]

References

  1. ↑ Neck injury halts Wilson
  2. ↑ Wilson, Broncos' first-round draft pick in '99, retires
  3. ↑ "Al Wilson Stats". ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 19 June 2014.

External links

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