The Alabama Crimson Tide has fueled the NFL for years now. Nick Saban's program is a never-ending source of talent. The players are developed, polished, and work in a professional environment from day one.
The New England Patriots have made the most of Saban-developed talent. Now, they've added yet another name to that list, bringing in veteran LB Mack Wilson.
Wilson was teammates with Pats' QB Mac Jones when he was still a third-stringer. But even though he was sitting behind both Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts, he knew he was poised to be special:
“I remember Mac when he was a pup,” Wilson said. “Just seeing how much he grew as a person and a player, it amazed me. I was telling everybody back home, friends and family, ‘Mac Jones is going to be special.’ A lot of guys didn’t believe me. Even some of the guys that were on our team didn’t believe me. I just saw something in him that just made me like: ‘Hey, this kid is going to be special.’
Wilson will be reunited with his former teammate. They had a strong, close relationship on campus and Mack kind of took him under his wing, mentoring him and advising him to wait for his opportunity:
“I used to always tell him, ‘Just stay working, man. Stay patient. Your time will come.’ And that’s what he did and obviously the rest was history," Wilson added.
Knowing him for so long, it wasn't a surprise to see Jones take the reins of the Patriots as soon as he made the league. Per Wilson, he's always had that 'swagger':
“You know a lot of guys come in as freshmen all uptight. Mac, he just had swagger,” Wilson said. “That’s something that caught my eye. He made some big plays. He made some great throws. Even when he scrambled he had a little juice in him. It was just different little small things that I’ve seen that made me like, hey, I like Mac. He’s going to be good. I believed in it and obviously it’s coming true.”
Wilson wasn't a part of the Cleveland Browns' plans anymore as he saw his playing time dip from year to year. Now, he expects to take his career back from the ground in Foxboro:
"It's a blessing to get fresh start, I kind of look at it like a second chance, so I'm approaching it like a pro," Wilson said.
If properly used, Wilson's versatile skill set will boost the Pats' stout defense.
