Wade Wilson (American football) facts for kids

Charles Wade Wilson (born February 1, 1959 – died February 1, 2019) was an American football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 years. His career lasted from 1981 to 1998.

Wade Wilson played for several teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and Oakland Raiders. After his playing career, he became a coach. He was a quarterbacks coach for the Dallas Cowboys (2000–2002 and 2007–2017) and the Chicago Bears (2004–2006). Before joining the NFL, he played college football at East Texas State (now Texas A&M–Commerce). There, he was recognized as an All-American quarterback. He even led his college team to the national semifinals in 1980.

Early Life and High School Football

Wade Wilson was born in Greenville, Texas. He grew up in Commerce, Texas. His father was a football coach, which likely influenced Wade's love for the game.

Wade became a very good quarterback and punter at Commerce High School. In his senior year, he helped his team, the Tigers, win 10 games and a district championship. He was known for running a "wishbone offense," which is a special way of running the ball. He graduated from high school in 1977.

College Football Career

After high school, Wilson received a football scholarship to East Texas State University. As a freshman in 1977, he was the backup quarterback. He also played as the team's punter.

By 1978, he became the main starting quarterback. In 1979, he was named to the first-team All-Lone Star Conference, which means he was one of the best players in his college conference.

In his final year, 1980, he had a fantastic season. He threw for 1,978 yards and 19 touchdowns. His team made it to the national playoffs. They even beat a top-ranked team, Central Arkansas, in the quarterfinals. They eventually lost to Elon College, who went on to win the national championship. Wade Wilson was named first-team All-Lone Star Conference and first-team NAIA All-American that year.

He finished college in 1981 with a degree in Business Management. He had thrown for 4,616 yards and 32 touchdowns during his college career.

Playing in the NFL

Minnesota Vikings Years

The Minnesota Vikings picked Wade Wilson in the eighth round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He spent 11 seasons with the Vikings. In his first year, 1981, he played in three games.

In 1985, he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Despite this, he continued to play. That year, he led the Vikings in an amazing comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles were winning 23–0, but Wilson came back into the game and threw three touchdown passes to win 28–23!

He often played as a backup quarterback. However, in 1987, he started more games. He led the Vikings to the NFC Championship Game. They upset the top-ranked San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs before losing to the Washington Redskins.

In 1988, Wilson had a great season. He started 10 games and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month in November. He completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,746 yards and 15 touchdowns. This strong performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl, which is an all-star game for the best players in the NFL.

He continued to play for the Vikings until 1991. He finished his time there with 17,283 passing yards and 99 touchdowns.

Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints

In 1992, Wilson joined the Atlanta Falcons. He played in nine games and started the last three. In one game, he threw five touchdown passes, which was a record for a Falcons quarterback at the time.

In 1993, he signed with the New Orleans Saints. He became the starting quarterback and helped the Saints win five games in a row. However, the team only won three more games that season. He played as a backup for the Saints in 1994 before leaving the team.

Dallas Cowboys and Super Bowl Win

In 1995, Wilson joined the Dallas Cowboys. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXX, which is the championship game of the NFL season. Even though he was a backup, being on a Super Bowl-winning team is a huge achievement! He played for the Cowboys for three seasons.

Oakland Raiders and Retirement

In 1998, Wilson signed with the Oakland Raiders. He started the last three games of the season. He threw for 425 yards and five touchdowns in those games.

In 1999, he was the third-string quarterback and did not play in any games due to an injury. On December 30, 1999, at age 40, Wade Wilson announced his retirement from playing football.

NFL Career Statistics

Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Wade Wilson became a coach. He was the Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach from 2000 to 2002.

Then, he became the Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach from 2004 to 2006. During his time with the Bears, the team reached Super Bowl XLI. He helped quarterback Rex Grossman have his best professional season.

On February 22, 2007, he returned to the Dallas Cowboys as their quarterbacks coach. He coached important players like Tony Romo and Dak Prescott. He was even one of the people who convinced the team to draft Dak Prescott.

The Cowboys decided to make a change after the 2017 season, and Wilson left his coaching role.

Personal Life

Wade Wilson passed away on February 1, 2019, which was his 60th birthday. He died at his home in Coppell, Texas. His death was due to problems from Type 1 Diabetes, a condition he had lived with for nearly 30 years.