After lifting NFL draft boards throughout the fall, BYU defender Zach Wilson seemed to be helping himself a little more on Friday, his professional day. As the planes weigh in if you select the No. 2 pick and switch from former No. 3 pick Sam Darnold, here are six things you may not know about Wilson:
1. If Wilson arrives in New York, his family should have no problem getting from Utah to MetLife Stadium. His uncle, David Neeleman, is the founder of JetBlue, among other airlines.
2. Wilson was originally employed at Boise State, but eventually switched to BYU because he wanted to play closer to home. The Cougars play about 30 miles from where Wilson grew up in Draper, Utah, and Wilson is part of a large family – his grandparents have seven children, 36 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren, according to Deseret News.
3. Wilson is of Hawaiian descent, and his middle name is Kapono – which means “right”.
4. Prior to his junior year, Wilson traveled 10 hours to Southern California to work with its founder, John Beck, according to NBC Sports’ Peter King. When COVID-19 canceled BYU’s spring training, Wilson stayed in California for a while and worked for DoorDash on Saturday night to help pay for gasoline and expenses, King reported.
5. Wilson could be BYU’s biggest star since … Jimmer Fredette? And the former college basketball sensation has some admiration for Wilson. “When I grow up, I want to be [Wilson]”, Fredette posted to Twitter in November, after Wilson led the 9th BYU to a 51-17 victory over state no.
6. How is this for hand-eye coordination? Wilson recently began juggling “and mastered it,” Wilson’s brother, Josh, told Deseret News.