Earlier today on July 30, 2021, we heard Robert Saleh comment on Zach Wilson’s first day of training camp with the New York Jets.
Just after, the young star of the franchise addressed the media himself. The main takeaway? Dedication.
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Money Can’t Buy Happiness… Or Super Bowls
Time and time again, Wilson has proven on and off the field that football is his sole focus, outside of his family and girlfriend Abbey Gile.
“[I was] just anxious to get back,” voiced the rookie, “I think that’s the hardest thing, now money is involved [but] my whole life I just played ball to play ball because I loved the game, so I just wanted to get the business done with so I can just do what I love.”
Wilson missed time because of a contract dispute, but many believe Jets ownership was to blame. The two parties came to a compromise on July 29, 2021, and reporters inquired about the young prospect’s first “dream purchase.”
“Well you can’t buy a Super Bowl so I guess I gotta work for that,” the BYU product replied, “we’ll go get one of those, we’ll go try and work for one of those.”
He went on: “That’s what’s so crazy, my girlfriend said to me, she goes, I forget you get money out of all this stuff, and I’m like, well that’s because the best part of it is the game. The fun part is not the money, it’s definitely playing football.”
When #Jets QB Zach Wilson (@zachkapono1) was asked what will be his dream purchase w/ his $22.9M signing bonus he said, ‘well you can’t buy a Super Bowl. So I guess I have to work for that’: #JetsCamp #TakeFlight
It’s not just idle chatter from the Utah native, it’s his way of life.
That’s why he reminds me so much of Tom Brady. It’s the way he speaks and his obsession with the game, not his physical attributes or style of play.
To quote the old saying from the Little Giants, “football is 80 percent mental and 40 percent physical.” Most athletes are freakishly talented but the legendary ones dominate the mental side of sports.
That takes the humility of a student, the passion of a superfan, and the intense drive that comes with always wanting to be great. Wilson has those traits within him, it’s apparent when he speaks.
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Rough First Day Offers ‘Learning Experience’
Aside from a deep bomb to Elijah Moore on his initial pass, it was a challenging first day for the signal-caller, but that didn’t seem to discourage him.
Zach Wilson first pass of training is a bomb to Elijah Moore, open deep behind secondary, for 40-plus yard gain.
And we’re off #Jets
“Exactly the way you do when you have a great day,” Wilson responded when asked how he manages a poor performance, “you go in and you watch the film and you say, okay what things could I have maybe done better… that’s what’s so exciting about football, it’s frustrating, the highs and lows of every day but there [are] always those big plays that bring you back.”
The Jets QB even referred to his first interception of camp as a “great learning experience.” Safety Marcus Maye came up with the pick.
It all comes with experience and practice. Wilson seems to understand that, stating: “One thing I can say about college is it was my third year in that offense. I knew that thing like the back of my hand and I felt like kind of anything we were doing, I knew it so well. Out here it’s still, how quickly can I develop these plays.”
When asked if he felt pressure on his first official day as a Jet, the answer was clear. “Yeah I would never say there’s pressure,” responded the rookie, “it’s just, how can I eliminate some of the rust.”
“That’s [why] I’m out here,” Wilson said earlier in the press conference, “[I’m] just trying to learn every single day, how can I improve just knowing my plays better and just the different looks our defense is throwing at us, it’s going to be a process.”
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Wilson on Passing of Mentor/Friend, Greg Knapp
One challenge that the BYU product never expected to face was the crushing loss of Jets assistant coach and passing game specialist Greg Knapp.
For the first time since the tragedy, Wilson spoke on what Coach Knapp meant to him.
“Oh my gosh, yeah at first it was shock, complete shock, because I had just been talking to him the day before the incident happened and it was almost like I didn’t believe it. I felt like I could have just called him right then on the phone and he would have answered, and it really hit me kind of later on… I was just praying for him and his family and everyone else involved that we could get through this together, and it’s tough man life is a precious thing.”
Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur has already stated that Knapp will “live on in this quarterback room.”
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Jets Quarterback Zach Wilson’s ‘Dream Purchase’ Cannot Be Bought