MADISON, Wis. — No matter what Russell Wilson accomplished during a stellar college football career, one perceived limitation has dogged him in his quest to impress professional teams before the NFL draft.
His height.
Wilson, the former North Carolina State and Wisconsin quarterback standout, measured in at 5-foot-11 during his pro day at Wisconsin in March. For comparison's sake, Cleveland Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace, at 5-11 3/8, was the shortest quarterback in the NFL last season. And New Orleans' Drew Brees was the shortest starter at 6-foot.
Count ESPN Monday Night Football analyst Jon Gruden among those who believe Wilson will earn a shot with an NFL team despite his undersized stature. Gruden recently spent time with Wilson as part of "Gruden's QB Camp," a one-on-one television show set to air at 4 p.m. CT Wednesday, April 11 on ESPNU.
"The only issue with Russell Wilson is his height," Gruden said during a conference call with reporters Wednesday. "He's got tremendous mobility. I've got him at 4.50 (seconds) in the 40. He's mastered two different offensive systems. When do any of us remember a kid transferring from NC State to Wisconsin in July and breaking every Wisconsin Badger record? The Badgers could have won every game this year if not for a couple Hail Marys."
In his one season at Wisconsin, Wilson completed 225 of 309 passes (72.8 percent) for 3,175 yards, 33 touchdowns and four interceptions. He broke the school record for single-season passing yards, touchdown passes, completions and pass efficiency rating.
Wilson also guided Wisconsin to an 11-3 record and a second straight berth in the Rose Bowl as champion of the Big Ten. The Badgers lost on Hail Mary passes in the final minute to both Michigan State and Ohio State — the only blemishes for Wisconsin during the regular season.
Wilson transferred to Wisconsin under the NCAA graduate transfer rule exception after graduating from North Carolina State with one year of eligibility remaining.
"This is a tremendous kid," Gruden said. "His intangibles are off the charts. He walks into Wisconsin and he's a team captain. … The only issue is his height, and we use Drew Brees as a classic example. If you just look at one inch, an inch-and-a-half, that's the height difference in Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. But he's got a lot of questions to answer. There are not a lot of quarterbacks under 6 feet that are playing in the NFL today or have played the game period. So he's going to have to answer those questions. Hopefully the right guy gives him an opportunity, and he takes advantage of it.
"When you watch the tape, every film you watch, at NC State or Wisconsin, the results are very similar. It's successful, solid, competitive. It's exciting. I wish him the best. He's a special kid. I just hope he gets with the right guy."
Gruden was a head coach in the NFL for 11 seasons — four with the Oakland Raiders and seven with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002. This spring, Gruden conducted one-on-one film sessions with 10 quarterback prospects, including Wilson, for his television show.
Gruden was asked how an NFL coach could help Wilson compensate for his lack of size.
"I don't think you do," Gruden said. "I think you just embrace the fact that you got Russell Wilson. He plays behind the biggest offensive line in college football. The center, (Peter) Konz, is going to be a second-round draft choice. He might even be a first-round draft choice. He's 6-foot-5 1/2. He's the biggest center in college football.
"(Kevin) Zeitler, the right guard, he's gotta be 6-5 1/2. All of these Wisconsin Badgers are every bit size-wise as big as any line in pro football. It's not a problem there. So you might have to change the launching spot a little bit more. You could make a lot of lists to say why a 5-10 quarterback, or a 5-11 quarterback, or a 6-footer can't play in pro football today. But I've watched him do it at NC State. I've watched him do it at Wisconsin, and I talked to a lot of coaches who had to defend him, and they're glad he's going to the NFL. I promise you that."
While at Wisconsin, Wilson played behind an offensive line that averaged 6-5, 322 pounds and was bigger than all but two NFL offensive lines. He also learned the team's pro-style playbook in less than two months — something Wilson has pointed out in his attempts to convince NFL personnel that he can play in any system thrown his way.
Most online mock drafts project Wilson to be taken on the third day of the NFL draft, between rounds 5-7. The NFL draft runs from April 26-28. And Gruden insists that Wilson's height is the only thing stopping him from being selected higher.
"There's something about Russell Wilson that I think has already been proven," Gruden said. "He's special, he's talented, and he's going to make it."
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