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Former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Albert Wilson — an undrafted prospect that ended up accumulating nearly 2,500 receiving yards at the NFL level — announced his retirement on the evening of May 10.
“Growing up, I can say my journey was one of a kind, both on and off the field,” Wilson voiced on Instagram. “Not wanting to be the winner and not wanting to prove I’m better, but strictly wanting to be put in a position to help my family do better.”
“10 years ago to this day I started a journey I didn’t see coming,” he continued. “May 10th, 2014, I was blessed enough to get that shot. BEFORE I GET OUTTA HERE, I want to thank God for blessing me with such a great journey. I know all things are possible because of you and nothing would be possible without you. After not getting drafted, I told myself all I wanted was 3 years, when I got to 3 you told me I could do 5, and when I got to 5 and fractured my hip, I thought 5 was the end of my journey, which exceeded my expectations, but no, you told me keep my head down and keep grinding it out & blessed me with 3 more.”
In a second post, Wilson sent a brief message to each organization that he was a part of, including the Chiefs — who first signed him as a UDFA in 2014.
“To the Kansas City Chiefs Organization, I want to thank you for kicking off this journey and giving me the only shot I ever needed,” Wilson wrote.
Later, he also thanked all of his coaches and teammates throughout the years for “helping me become the man/athlete I am today.” He ended both posts with “AWII OUT ❤️✌🏽,” signaling his retirement around the league.
Albert Wilson Was Yet Another Chiefs’ UDFA Success Story
The Chiefs have hit on their fair share of UDFAs over the years, and that track record has continued under general manager Brett Veach. Wilson was one of those undrafted success stories from 2014 through 2017.
With Kansas City, Wilson put up over 1,500 receiving yards, with eight total touchdowns and another 100-plus all-purpose yards as both a runner and a returner. He also logged 106 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns over four playoff outings.
The best season of his career came in 2017, when Wilson caught 42 passes for 554 receiving yards and three touchdowns. From there, he was able to continue his NFL journey with the Miami Dolphins.
Although Wilson never quite topped that 2017 campaign, he remained consistent throughout his Dolphins tenure.
He ended his career bouncing around the Minnesota Vikings and Las Vegas Raiders’ organizations but failed to appear in an official regular season outing with both.
Ex-Chiefs WR Albert Wilson Has Advice for New NFL UDFAs
Within Wilson’s parting message was advice for the new UDFAs around the sport.
“To the guy walking in my shoes, keep God first and keep grinding it out. It’s already written!” He stated.
Adding: “Draft pick #000 BUT 8 years to my name baby. DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE!”
Undrafted prospects are known for having a chip on their shoulder. Wilson still appears to have that chip to this day.
And it’s important that new UDFAs hear his words. “Keep grinding it out.” And, “don’t believe the hype,” will resonate with many.
In 2024, the Chiefs inked two undrafted wide receivers. Those prospects were Kansas State’s Phillip Brooks and Villanova’s Jaaron Hayek.
They also signed James Madison pass-catcher Reggie Brown briefly, although Hayek replaced him on the 90-man roster after rookie minicamp.
The local K-State receiver, Brooks, is 5-foot-7 — just two inches shorter than Wilson. While Hayek is a bit taller at 6-foot-1. Both will compete for a roster or practice squad role inside a crowded KC WR corps.
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