Wilson and Ciara also used their platforms to encourage votes, especially among young people and communities of color, through the I AM A VOTER campaign. They also announced in 2020 the creation of the Why Not You Academy, a tuition-free public charter school in Des Moines, Washington that will open in the fall of 2021.
“For me personally, 2020 has really changed my perspective,” said Wilson. “I’ve always thought of others and that’s always been important to Ciara and me, but when you realize that so many people can be affected in so many different ways every day, it was so important that we give back. to do something, calling us to use our resources, use our networks of relationships and the like to come together and really make a difference. In the end it reminded me of my kids, I pray this isn’t that one day , so that’s why we really tried to go a step further and make a difference in 2020. “
On the field, Wilson excelled as he has 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 pitching 40 touchdown passes in his career. .
And throughout his career, Wilson’s success on Sundays and in the community has been driven not least, but the rhetorical question 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, taught their three children the drive to excel not only in sports but also in life.
What my father used to tell me as a young child was, ‘Son, why not you? Wilson said. “‘Why don’t you play professional baseball, why don’t you play professional football, why don’t you graduate early, why are you doing this and that not?’ I realized at a young age, when I was 6, 7, 8 years old, that that was the driving force, consciously and unconsciously, that I ended up asking myself all the time, and I think that’s the question we all must argue. “
So it’s only fitting that this prestigious award that Wilson won, in recognition of his excellence on and off the field, happens to be 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 was always talking about what he did off the field and who he was as a person,” Wilson said. “… I know my dad is smiling at me, and I know Walter is there too, they are probably hanging out, maybe even smoking a cigar, who knows? What a blessing it is.
“If I can serve others, I think that’s my responsibility. It’s my responsibility as a quarterback to help my teammates, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity and a gift to be able to give back to others in the world. all over the country, all over the world., and I think that’s why God has me right where I am, and I’m grateful for it every day. ”