Post columnist Steve Serby tracked down Giants rookie David Wilson for some Q&A.
Q: Why do you enjoy kickoff returns?
A: It’s just 11 men running down the field fast as they can, and 11 guys trying to get it in the end zone. You think about war, like how they used to fight when they’d just run at each other, that’s kinda like it is. It’s just so explosive like when you come out the other end. It’s just that feeling that you get.
Q: Describe that feeling.
A: You can’t describe it in words. … It’s just when you break past everybody, you’re like, “Damn, all those guys are trying to tackle me and I just ran past ’em.” And it’s different than an offensive touchdown, I think on kickoff. Scoring a touchdown on that is a lot harder, then when you do it, it’s just a good feeling. … It seems like the wind gets lighter when you get in front of everybody. You ever been in a hot room, and then somebody turns a fan on or air conditioner on? That’s how I feel (laugh).
Q: Have you pictured in your mind your first NFL kickoff return touchdown?
A: Since it’s been so long since one’s been returned here, I just think when I do get one in the end zone, I think it’s gonna be a moment to remember and it’s gonna be fun.
Q: Will you do a backflip in the end zone?
A: Probably (laugh).
Q: What kind of an impact can you make if given the ball?
A: I just want to be a game-changer?
Q: How can you be a game-changer if you’re watching on the sidlelines, right?
A: Yeah, that’s my point. I want to be a game-changer.
Q: You have every confidence that you can be if you get the chance?
A: Yeah. Definitely.
Q: Why? What makes you a game-changer?
A: Just my God-given ability.
Q: Describe your best kickoff return.
A: A minute and 50 seconds left, we’re (Virginia Tech) down by four points, Thursday night versus Georgia Tech. … They kicked it off, and I ran it all the way back for a touchdown. And won the game.
Q: When are you going to run one back for a touchdown at this level?
A: Might be this week.
Q: Do you feel like one’s coming?
A: Soon.
Q: Why do you think it’s going to come soon?
A: I don’t know, I’ve just been close on a lot of ’em, and not just last week’s game, but against the Bucs I had one, and then even against the Cowboys I almost had one.
Q: Describe your 92-yard kickoff return against N.C. State.
A: We were down by three touchdowns I think at halftime — mighta been more. But, we’re in the locker room and we were receiving the ball to start the second half. And I was like, “Well, I’m gonna just run the kickoff back.” And they were just like, “Well, if you can say you can do it, do it.” And I was like, “No I’m serious, I’m gonna run the kickoff back.” And then I ran out there and ran it back. Shocked myself though (laugh).
Q: How would you describe your on-field temperament?
A: To have a good time. Execute and have fun at the same time. That’s just how I am when I’m on the field. Every locker room I’ve been in, there’s been guys that are so serious before the game, it’s like they’re mad at the world. And like, how do they go from being on the bus smiling and now he’s just all of a sudden mad (laugh)? I’m like, “I don’t know why they’re so mad.” I like playing football, love to smile while I do it (laugh).
Q: What were your first impressions of coach Tom Coughlin?
A: Wise and traditional.
Q: Traditional in what way?
A: He got his way that he wants things done. You could tell it’s a tradition with him, the way he does things.
Q: How much did that fumble against the Cowboys bother you?
A: It was just the days after. I mean, if I woulda went back in that game and played, I wouldn’t even have thought about it. And I’m sure other people wouldn’t either, ’cause it’s a part of the game. So me fumbling wouldn’t have been a big deal if I woulda got back in and had some success. It probably woulda got asked, but it wouldn’t have been like a story. But since I was benched after that and then didn’t play after that and then the next week didn’t really play, then that’s when it became like a big deal, I think.
Q: You would have preferred it happen a different way?
A: I mean, Coach handled it the way he wanted to handle it. He’s won Super Bowls, so he knows what he’s doing. It’s a method to everything (smile).
Q: Does high-and-tight still resonate in your brain?
A: Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I don’t think about it at all, and I just go out there and play football again.
Q: Give me a scouting report on yourself.
A: Fast, strong, yards after contact … doesn’t go down on first tackle.
Q: Has Ahmad Bradshaw been a mentor for you?
A: Yeah. He’s always giving me advice on little stuff, almost like a coach. Even in practice when I’m running the ball, he’ll be screaming stuff from the sideline (chuckle).
Q: You used to jump off rooftops?
A: I used to flip, and climb trees, and all the other stuff. I wasn’t born in the city, it was more like a town. … On paper it’s a city, but there’s not much to do there. Climbing got trees got easy, so I would start trying to climb other stuff like fences, and then eventually start learn how to climb up the side of houses.
Q: Somebody at school challenged you, so you did a backflip off your grandmother’s roof? How high was it?
A: It’s a one-story house, so it wasn’t like high up.
Q: Did that hurt?
A: No (laugh). I would never do nothing like I don’t feel like I could do 98 percent sure that I could it.
Q: Did any of your friends at school see it?
A: Yeah, the kids in the neighborhood saw it and they came to school — “He really did it, he really did it!”
Q: Have you done backflips since you’ve been a Giant?
A: Yeah. Actually I did one [Friday]. In practice I scored a touchdown so did a backflip after I scored.
Q: Catching rabbits?
A: The first rabbit I caught I was 11. This was in a fenced field, and these were baby rabbits, and we caught three of ’em, and tried to keep ’em.
Q: You weren’t able to?
A: No, my ma told me I had to let ’em go (laugh).
Q: What’s the key to catching a rabbit?
A: Persistence.
Q: In second grade, your teacher said you were like a wiggle worm in hot ashes.
A: Miss Prichett.
Q: Why did she say that?
A: I was always moving, like even when I was sitting down, I was … doing something. And it got on her nerves (laugh).
Q: When did your NFL dream begin?
A: 8 years old.
Q: How did it begin?
A: My dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, and I had just finished my first football season and I said, “I want to play in the NFL.”
Q: What did he say when you told him?
A: He said, “Go do it. It ain’t gonna be easy. And I’m gonna stay on you about it.”
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: My dad.
Q: Why?
A: Just growing up, it seemed like he could do anything. He’d build houses, and I would help him. I’ve seen him lift a refrigerator up over his back and take it in the house by himself.
Q: Describe Danville, Va.
A: We have a mall, and we have a Walmart … a bowling alley, movie theater. … Other than that, [there’s] not much to do.
Q: So where did you go if you wanted to have fun?
A: Actually in Danville, Walmart is more popular than the mall (laugh), so people would go to Walmart.
Q: You almost committed to Auburn.
A: Bo Jackson was one of my favorite athletes, and he went to that school. And when I went down to Alabama for my visit, I enjoyed it, and when I got in the car [I was] like, “I think I want to commit to Auburn.” At this point, I hadn’t visited Virginia Tech yet. I asked one of the coaches, I can’t remember his name, and I said, “Where’s Bo Jackson from?” And he said, “Oh, he was raised in Alabama.” And I was like, “All right.” And then another one of my favorite players, Michael Vick, he was raised in Virginia. And another player that will always be remembered in college football, Reggie Bush — I was looking at all these like great players that grew up in their state and played college in their state. There’s no NFL team in Virginia so I figured I’ll play my last level of football I can play in Virginia in Virginia.
Q: Tell me about your souped-up ’78 Ford Thunderbird.
A: Where I’m from, when all the kids got to high school and stuff and had their first cars, they got the car from their grandma, or their uncle. They wouldn’t give ’em their brand new car, they’ll give ’em their old car. So most of the time that was a box Chevy or a Lincoln between the 1980s and 1970 range. So we would take ’em and we would paint ’em and fix ’em up and put rims on ’em, sound systems — add all the extra stuff we could to make it look as pretty as possible.
Q: Do you still have it?
A: I still got it. It’s at home in Virginia.
Q: Superstitions?
A: I just pray before every game. I don’t know if that’s a superstition or not.
Q: Hobbies?
A: Drawing, laughing, making people laugh, trying to sing — **** trying. That’s the key word (laugh).
Q: You’re not that good at it?
A: Naw (laugh).
Q: Why do you keep trying then?
A: I think one day it’ll change (laugh).
Q: Have you tried singing to any of your teammates?
A: Yeah. Well they make us do it in training camp. And then I had too much fun with it so they didn’t want me to do it no more — “He’s not even embarrassed to do it, like don’t get up and sing!”
Q: What did you sing?
A: Anything, mostly R&B.
Q: Two dinner guests?
A: Obama; Oprah.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Training Day.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Denzel.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Halle Berry.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Michael Jackson.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Fried chicken.
Q: What else should be in the David Wilson life movie?
A: All the extra work I put in. I have God-given ability, but I work hard to try to perfect those things. Even when people are not watching like by myself like at home … random workouts.
Q: Why do you bust your butt like that?
A: Certain people got that certain hunger. I sat back and like thought about it and i thought about if I wasn’t playing football, what would I be doing, and would I be as successful at what I picked to do as in football? And I thought about it and I think certain people just got that mindset to be successful at what they do. And I would put myself in that category.
Q: You want to be great?
A: Yeah.
Q: You think you can be?
A: Yeah.
Q: You do?
A: Yeah.
Q: It takes a lot of hard work to be great.
A: I know.
Q: You’re willing to pay the price?
A: Yeah.