A true winner
2/6/2015, 12:58 p.m.
One of the closest things we have to a hero is Russell Wilson.
The 26-year-old Seattle Seahawks quarterback, who grew up in Richmond and learned well the lessons of his athletic attorney father and educator grandfather, has been a source of pride and inspiration for people well beyond his hometown.
In the exciting AFC championship game Jan. 18, as well as last Sunday’s heart-stopping Super Bowl XLIX, his team was down several points in the fourth quarter with barely enough time left on the clock to breathe, and what did Wilson do?
He didn’t choke. He didn’t sweat. He simply played out the game the best he could.
All of America — and most of the world — knows by now how both games turned out.
Yet, despite the disappointment of not winning back-to-back Super Bowls, Wilson was the epitome of grace.
“Every setback has a major comeback,” he posted Monday on Twitter.
“At 26 years old I won’t allow 1 play or 1 moment define my career. I will keep evolving,” he later tweeted.
He never pinned the loss on others.
While many of us still would be hiding under the covers in a darkened room, Wilson showed up smiling Tuesday for his weekly visit with youngsters at Seattle Children’s hospital. The only thing missing was his long hair and beard, which he had clipped and shaved and showed on Instagram.
He leaves us all with incredible lessons: Never give up. And never give in.
No matter what, Wilson will always be a winner.
