Russell Wilson Has ACC Seeing Red

Nine days and counting.

Russell Wilson will begin his second season as North Carolina State's starting quarterback next Thursday in the opener against South Carolina. Wilson, who was very good last season, wants to be even better this year. He feels more comfortable in the offense, he knows his teammates better, and he heartily embraces the expectations that surround the Wolfpack program.

In fact, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has said that only one quarterback in the ACC has all the qualities needed to turn a team into a national contender: Russell Wilson, take a bow.

"There will be excitement there but I think I will be a lot more relaxed," Wilson said Tuesday.

"Playing last year, learning how to be a relaxed, calm quarterback, staying composed during adversity helps. I am definitely excited about this first game. Every time you play there is something new that happens."

N.C. State fans, of course, know exactly what they don't want to see happen to Wilson, and that's being helped to the sideline. Perhaps no player in the Atlantic Coast Conference was more important to his team lat year than the athletic Wilson. He became the first freshman in the 57-year history of the ACC to be named the All-ACC first-team quarterback, and was named rookie of the year as well.

Wilson absorbed some hard knocks along the way, however.

In the opener at South Carolina, Wilson suffered a concussion and was carried off the field on a stretcher with five minutes left in the second quarter. Pressured by the Gamecocks in the backfield, Wilson took a knee to the back of his head while hitting the ground. Although he doesn't remember the injury, Wilson gave fans a thumbs up while being carted away. The game, however, ended thumbs down for the Wolfpack in the 34-0 defeat.

Wilson missed the South Florida game in late September with an injured shoulder, and the Wolfpack hit rock bottom in the 41-10 loss. A healthy Wilson, however, helped N.C. State win four straight games in November to reach the Papjohns.com Bowl. But he was hurt in that game, too, tweaking a knee, and Rutgers rallied in the second half for a 29-23 victory.

Wilson believes his maturity and understanding of the Wolfpack's offense should help him avoid injuries this season. Even so, don't think that Wilson is going to temper his approach. That's not his style, which is to take whatever running hole or passing lane the defense gives him.

"I am never afraid of doing certain things, or playing to the best level I can," said Wilson, who led the ACC last season in total offense with an average of 213 yards, in touchdown passes with 17, and in passing efficiency.

"I am going to be smart. If I need to get down, I will get down. But I think a lot of it goes back to watching film and understanding certain situations where I could get down earlier. A lot of it is just being more mature. The game has slowed down for me. The game (has) slowed down for a me a lot."

Wilson, a redshirt sophomore, will enter the season having thrown his last 249 passes without being intercepted. While Bowden says Wilson was the most dangerous quarterback he saw last season, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien says Wilson is the most organized player he has ever seen. That's just reflects Wilson's personality, values and family influence.

"I try to stay as organized as possible, making sure you are doing all the little stuff that really matters when it comes to winning games and working hard on the practice field, " Wilson said. "I think everybody has that mindset. I always push people and I always push myself. The first thing you have to do is push yourself if you are going to push other people. I always try to be the best I can be and work hard everywhere I go."

It shows, too.

Wilson is on an accelerated academic schedule and on track for graduation in the spring of 2010. He also is a baseball prospect (second baseman for the Wolfpack) who's eligible for the 2010 draft. In fact, with Wilson's future uncertain beyond this season, O'Brien plans to play highly touted redshirt freshman backup Mike Glennon for a series in the first half of each game this season.

Wilson, however, is not worried about the future. He's too busy trying to build on the positives from last season to help prepare for the Gamecocks' visit to Carter-Finley Stadium. In fact, if you want to know a little bit about Wilson's makeup, one his best memories from last year had nothing to do with his play. It was the Wolfpack's ability as a program to overcome their 2-6 start.

"Coming back from where we were at one point in the season, we weren't winning games but we were so close. That feeling where you are so close but you are losing, that's a tough feeling to have, especially when you know you have a good team, and you know the rest of the guys are working hard," Wilson said.

"So, getting over that hump, getting over that adversity, coach O'Brien truly helping us, truly continuing to push us and believing in us, the staff believing in us ... that was probably the most exciting. Not necessarily one moment, or one game, I guess it's a period of time where we've overcome obstacles."

O'Brien enters his third season still looking for his first winning record in Raleigh, N.C., and here's little doubt that this year will provide him with that opportunity. And, in case you are wondering, O'Brien was in this position before when he was the head coach at Boston College. After going 4-7 in his first two season, the Eagles finished better than 500 for eight straight years and won seven consecutive bowl games.

It's safe to assume that nobody is going to outwork Wilson.

No matter what you do, good or bad -- I have to recognize how good I am and how bad I am," said Wilson, a Richmond, Va., native who threw for 1,955 yards last season with 17 touchdowns and just one interception (against Clemson on Sept. 13). "I have to know every time I step on the field, or I am in the film room, or I am sitting at home thinking of what play I am going to run, I have to really visualize it. I have to get better at it, I have to understand it to do the best I can.

"I want to be the best quarterback I can. I want to be the best quarterback in the ACC. I want to be the best quarterback in the nation. Every time I step on the field I definitely want to be the best quarterback that day. I will do whatever it takes -- sit back in the pocket all day, or if there's times I need to run to get a first down, I will do that.

"I think everyone has grown. Everybody understands what coach O'Brien wants us to do.The main goal for me is just to win every time I step on the field. That's all that matters."

Nine days and counting.