Zach Wilson

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Zach Wilson
refer to caption
Wilson in 2021
No. 2 – New York Jets
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1999-08-03) August 3, 1999 (age 22)
Draper, Utah
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:214 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school:Corner Canyon (Draper)
College:BYU (2018–2020)
NFL Draft:2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
  • New York Jets (2021–present)
Roster status:Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2021
TD–INT:7–11
Passing yards:2,013
Completion percentage:56.67
Passer rating:66.4
Rushing yards:161
Rushing touchdowns:4
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Zachary Kapono Wilson (born August 3, 1999) is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at BYU, where he was a two-time bowl game MVP, and was selected second overall by the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Early life and high school[]

Wilson was born in Draper, Utah, on August 3, 1999.[1] He attended Corner Canyon High School, where he played high school football. He passed for 2,986 yards and 24 touchdowns while also rushing for 752 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior. Wilson originally committed to play quarterback at Boise State University before later decommitting and choosing to attend Brigham Young University (BYU).[2]

College career[]

2018 season[]

See also: 2018 BYU Cougars football team

As a true freshman at BYU in 2018, Wilson played in nine games and made seven starts. He started his first career game against Hawaii, becoming the youngest quarterback to start a game for BYU.[3] He finished the season having completed 120 of 182 passes for 1,578 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.[4] He was named the MVP of the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl after completing all 18 of his passes for 317 yards and four touchdowns.[5]

2019 season[]

See also: 2019 BYU Cougars football team

As a sophomore in 2019, Wilson started nine games, completing 199 of 319 passes for 2,382 yards, 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.[6][7] That season, the Cougars were invited to the 2019 Hawaii Bowl, where Wilson was named BYU's MVP in the defeat.[8]

2020 season[]

See also: 2020 BYU Cougars football team

Wilson started 12 games and completed 247 of 336 passes for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing for 255 yards and 10 touchdowns, breaking Steve Young's school completion percentage in a season at 73.5 percent.[1][9] He was named the offensive MVP of the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl after completing 26 of 34 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns. He and USC safety Talanoa Hufanga were selected as recipients of the 2020 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Award.[1]

Statistics[]

Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2018 9 7 120 182 65.9 1,578 12 3 157.2 75 221 2.9 2
2019 9 9 199 319 62.4 2,382 11 9 130.8 67 167 2.5 3
2020 12 12 247 336 73.5 3,692 33 3 196.4 70 254 3.6 10
Career 30 28 566 837 67.6 7,652 56 15 162.9 212 642 3.0 15

Professional career[]

A top quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft, Wilson was selected second overall by the New York Jets and was one of five quarterbacks taken in the first round.[10] He signed a four-year deal on July 29, 2021, that was worth $35.15 million fully guaranteed, along with a $22.9 million signing bonus and a fifth year option.[11][12]

Wilson made his debut against the Carolina Panthers, facing him off with his Jets predecessor Sam Darnold. After throwing an interception in the first half, he finished with 258 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a rushing 2-point conversion, but the Jets lost 14–19.[13] During the Jets' home opener in Week 2, Wilson faced the New England Patriots and fellow rookie quarterback Mac Jones. He threw for 210 yards and four interceptions, including on his first two pass attempts, in a 6–25 defeat.[14]

Following a 0–26 shutout loss against the Denver Broncos, where he threw for 160 yards and two interceptions, Wilson earned his first career win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 4. Wilson threw one interception, which resulted in him having the most in the league at eight, but also threw two touchdowns and completed 21 of 34 passes for 297 yards. One of his touchdowns was a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Corey Davis that gave the Jets a 24–17 lead in the fourth quarter, with the team going on to win 27–24 in overtime.[15] Wilson threw his ninth interception during Week 5 against the Atlanta Falcons, making him the fourth NFL quarterback after DeShone Kizer, Zach Mettenberger, and Blake Bortles to be intercepted in each of his first five starts. The Jets subsequently lost 20–27.[16]

During Week 7 against the Patriots, Wilson suffered a knee injury in the second quarter after being hit by linebacker Matthew Judon. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game, with Mike White replacing him in the 13–54 loss.[17] Following the defeat, it was announced that Wilson had a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which caused him to miss four games.[18] Wilson returned in Week 12, where he won his first road game with a 21–14 victory over the Houston Texans. He also scored his first rushing touchdown during the game.[19]

NFL career statistics[]

Year Team Games Passing Rushing Sacks Fumbles
GP GS Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate Att Yds Avg TD Sck SckY Fum Lost
2021 NYJ 11 11 3−8 187 330 56.67 2,013 6.1 7 11 67.9 25 161 6.4 4 35 281 4 1
Career 11 11 3−8 187 330 56.67 2,013 6.1 7 11 67.9 25 161 6.4 4 35 281 4 1

Personal life[]

Wilson was born to Michael and Lisa Wilson (née Neeleman) and has three brothers and two sisters.[20][21] He is part Hawaiian on his father's side, with his middle name Kapono meaning "righteous" in the Hawaiian language.[1][21] Some other members of his family include airline entrepreneur David Neeleman and HealthEquity co-founder Stephen Neeleman.[21] Wilson was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a child, a trait that runs in his family.[21][22] He is also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, though he is not actively practicing the religion.[22]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Lundquist, Casey (January 12, 2021). "Zach Wilson Named 2020 Polynesian Player of the Year". SI.com. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Butler, Eric (December 21, 2017). "Corner Canyon star QB Zach Wilson signs with BYU". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Call, Jeff (October 13, 2018). "Zach Wilson becomes youngest QB to start at BYU". Deseret News. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  4. ^ Robinson, Doug (August 25, 2019). "'All about family': How those closest to Zach Wilson – Ute fans to the core – influenced his football trajectory and played a hand in landing him at BYU". Deseret News. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Nothaft, Patrick (December 22, 2018). "BYU QB Zach Wilson a perfect 18 for 18 in Idaho Potato Bowl win over WMU". mlive. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Drew, Jay (June 22, 2020). "A 'bigger, faster, stronger' Zach Wilson returns to BYU workouts eager to reclaim his starting quarterback position". Deseret News. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  7. ^ Gonzalez, Norma (March 2, 2020). "Zach Wilson is still BYU's starting QB, but he may have to fight for his job to keep it". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  8. ^ Shimabuku, Christian (December 24, 2019). "Rainbow Warriors reach 10-win mark with last-minute 38–34 win over BYU in Hawaii Bowl". KHON2. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Lloyd, Jared (October 2, 2020). "How BYU QB Zach Wilson is slicing up defenses early in 2020". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Lange, Randy (April 29, 2021). "No Secret: Jets Select QB Zach Wilson with No. 2 Pick of NFL Draft". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
  11. ^ Lange, Randy (July 29, 2021). "Jets Sign QB Zach Wilson, No. 2 Overall Pick in the 2021 NFL Draft". NewYorkJets.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  12. ^ Cimini, Rich (July 29, 2021). "New York Jets' Zach Wilson signs rookie deal after missing first 2 days of practice, sources say". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  13. ^ Cimini, Rich (September 12, 2021). "New York Jets rookie QB Zach Wilson sacked 6 times but rallies in NFL debut defeat to Carolina Panthers". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  14. ^ Rapp, Timothy (September 19, 2021). "Mac Jones, Patriots Cruise to Win vs. Jets as Zach Wilson Throws 4 INT". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  15. ^ Costello, Brian (October 3, 2021). "Zach Wilson electric as Jets upset Titans in OT for first win". New York Post. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  16. ^ Dedaj, Paulina (October 10, 2021). "Jets' Zach Wilson joins beleaguered quarterback group with 8th interception". Fox Sports. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Costello, Brian (October 25, 2021). "Jets destroyed by Patriots amid Zach Wilson injury worry". New York Post. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  18. ^ Negley, Cassandra (October 25, 2021). "Report: Jets QB Zach Wilson has 'best-case scenario' with sprained PCL, out 2-4 weeks". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  19. ^ Fonseca, Brian (November 28, 2021). "Zach Wilson leads Jets to win over lowly Texans with solid performance in his return from injury". NJ.com. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
  20. ^ "Zach Wilson - Football". byucougars.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c d Robinson, Doug (April 22, 2021). "'All about family': How those closest to Zach Wilson — Ute fans to the core — influenced his football trajectory and played a hand in landing him at BYU". Deseret.com. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Drew, Jay (April 23, 2021). "BYU's Zach Wilson: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of a future first-round NFL draft pick". Deseret.com. Retrieved April 6, 2021.

External links[]

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