Wilson and Ciara also used their platforms to encourage voting, especially among young people and communities of color, through the campaign I AM A VOTER. They also announced in 2020 the foundation of Why Not You Academy, a free public charter school in Des Moines, Washington, which is due to open in the fall of 2021.
“For me personally, 2020 really changed my perspective,” said Wilson. “I always thought of others and that was always important for Ciara and me, but when you realize that so many people every day can be affected in so many different ways, it was very important to give back. as if God is calling us to do something, calling us to use our resources, use our networks of relationships and other things to come together and really try to make a difference. At the end of the day, it made me think of my kids, that I pray that this is not a day, so that’s why we really try to step up and make a difference in 2020. “
On the field, Wilson stood out throughout his career, earning Pro-Bowl honors for the eighth time in nine seasons, helping the Seahawks to a 12-4 record and an NFC West title, and achieving a record of 40 passes for touchdown. .
And throughout his career, Wilson’s success on Sundays and in the community was driven, in large part, by the rhetorical question that his father, Harrison Wilson III, always asked his three children, Russell, Harrison IV and Anna.
Harrison III died of complications from diabetes in 2010, but not before he and his wife, Tammy, instilled in their three children the desire to stand out not only in sports, but in life.
“The thing my father always said to me as a child was, ‘Son, why not you?'” Said Wilson. “‘Why don’t you play professional baseball, why don’t you play professional football, why don’t you graduate early, why don’t you do this and that?’ I realized from a very young age, at 6, 7, 8 years old, that this was the question of driving force, consciously and unconsciously, that I ended up asking myself all the time. And I think that is the question that we should all ask ourselves. “
Therefore, it is only right that this prestigious award that Wilson won, recognizing his excellence on and off the field, is named after one of Harrison Wilson III’s favorite athletes.
“My dad is probably smiling from ear to ear, because (Payton) was probably one of my dad’s favorite athletes of all time, and he always talked about what he did off the field and who he was as a person,” said Wilson . “… I know my dad is smiling at me, and I know that Walter is upstairs too, they must be out for a walk, maybe even smoking a cigar, who knows? What a blessing that is.
“If I can serve others, I think it is my responsibility. It is my responsibility as a defender to serve to help my teammates, but most importantly, it is an opportunity and a gift to be able to give back to others around the country, around the world, and I think that’s why God has me right where I am, and I’m grateful for that every day. “