Cliff Mills - Russell Wilson

Copyright 2016 by Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mills, Cliff, 1947

Russell Wilson / by Cliff Mills.
pages cm. (Blue Banner Biographies)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Audience: Age: 5-9.

Audience: Grade 1 to Grade 4.

ISBN 978-1-68020-083-6 (library bound)

1. Wilson, Russell, 1988 Juvenile literature. 2. Football playersUnited StatesBiography

Juvenile literature. 3. Quarterbacks (Football)United States--BiographyJuvenile literature.

I. Title.

GV939.W545M55 2015

796.332092 dc23

2015003207

eBook ISBN: 978-1-5457-4588-5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Clifford Mills has written many biographies about world leaders and sports superstars. He is a Carter-Woodson Award Honorable Mention from the National Council for Social Studies. Like Russell Wilsons father, he played baseball for Dartmouth College, but he never could have been a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. Mills lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife Rosemary, his baseball trophies, and Super Bowl XLVIII memories.

PUBLISHERS NOTE: The following story has been thoroughly researched and to the best of our knowledge represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This story has not been authorized or endorsed by Russell Wilson.

PBP

Chapter 1
They Are the Champions

Chapter 2
A Gifted and Talented Family

Chapter 3
The Turning Point: Choosing Football

Chapter 4
Flying High as a Seahawk

Chapter 5
Turning on the Magic

In the middle of a confetti storm, Wilson raises the Lombardi Trophy high over his head to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium on February 2, 2014.

They Are the Champions

E very year, the Super Bowl is Americas biggest football game. It got even bigger when it was held at MetLife Stadium in Rutherford, New Jersey, on February 2, 2014. With over 111 million television viewers tuning in, Super Bowl XLVIII was watched by more people than any event in American history.

Fans started filing into the stadium in the early afternoon, some wearing Seahawk blues and greens, some wearing Bronco orange. The pre-game tension built, amplified by marching bands, performers from Broadway musicals, and fireworks. On the last note of the National Anthem, nine US Army helicopters flew over the stadium in a U-formation. The game began with a roar.

That game should have been an epic struggle. The National Football Leagues (NFL) best offense, the Denver Broncos, was playing the best defense, the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos were led by future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Peyton Manning. Some argue that he is the best quarterback ever. A second-year player named Russell Wilson quarterbacked the Seahawks. Many experts, who said he was too short to play professional football, had doubted him. Some said this Super Bowl would be Mannings chance to show again that he was truly the leagues most valuable player (MVP).

Manning had a disastrous start. The snap from center on the first play flew over his head. It was a sign of things to come. Soon it was Wilson, not Manning, who was throwing perfect passes to several different receivers. Some passes were laser-straight. Some floated softly, landing in between defenders.

On one play in the first quarter, Wilson took the snap from center near mid-field. He looked down the field to see who was coming open. He then launched a long pass that hung in the air long enough for Seahawk wide receiver Doug Baldwin to run under it. It was just over the head of the Bronco defender. Fox Sports broadcaster Joe Buck shouted, What a throw!

Some professional football players can run very fast, some can throw a football very hard, and some can throw a football with great accuracy. Very few can do all three at the same time. Russell Wilson can and did. He was a magic man, dazzling the crowd and breaking the Broncos.

Wilson went on to throw two touchdowns in the biggest game of his life. He had no interceptions and no mistakes. William Rhoden of The New York Times wrote that Wilson was the Seahawks dream-maker... He did everything an MVP should do. Seattle won Super Bowl XLVIII, 43 to 8.

After the game, Wilson held the Lombardi Trophy high over his head. A blizzard of green, blue, and white confetti surrounded him. He and his team were world champions.

He told reporters, At the beginning of the season, I told our guys, Hey, why not us? We wanted to win it all. His father had always encouraged him to go after his dreams.