As I read the Huffington Post article regarding Russell Wilson's recent announcement to promote a campaign to raise awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence, this question kept coming to mind:
What will Russell Wilson's legacy as an athlete and a man be in our society?
Based on Russell Wilson's own description, at age 13, it would have been only as a "bully."
But if you fast forward to the current success he enjoys as a professional athlete, you might get the sense that he'd be satisfied to reverse the perceptions that others have of him before the age of 14 through athletic accomplishments alone. While impressive in their own right - nothing could be further from the truth.
With today's confession and invitation shared in the Players' Tribune, we get to catch a glimpse of the man Wilson is intent on becoming and staying. He appears very aware that the only person he can really ever have control of is himself - the man in the mirror.
So, what will Russell Wilson's legacy be as a professional athlete and as a human?
Both are too early to tell as Wilson is only in his third year in the NFL and he is by all accounts still a very young man. A LOT can still happen. But on many levels, A LOT has already happened for a person who was a very angry teen who would go on to excel in a violent professional sport and even win a Super Bowl - and then have the courage to describe himself as a "recovering bully."
Wilson is demonstrating leadership skills well beyond the lines of a football field, the lines his fan base would love to hear him say, or the lines of fans the NFL ownership is hopeful do not shrink due to recent high profile cases of violence - and it invites others to join with him in transcending the lines that would only serve to prevent us all from helping to take compassion to scale.
Russell Wilson has thrown plenty of passes for touchdowns. Now he's ready to a throw a pass for something more important.
The Seattle Seahawks' Super Bowl-winning quarterback introduced the "Pass The Peace" campaign to raise awareness and funds for victims of domestic violence on Thursday. In a personal essay posted at The Players Tribune, Wilson outlined his vision for the campaign associated with his Why Not You Foundation and challenged people to donate to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
"I want us to Pass the Peace to support victims of domestic violence," wrote Wilson at The Players Tribune. "The idea behind Pass the Peace is simple: It’s a promise. I’m sharing my love for you. I want to take care of you. I am here for you."
To read Wilson's post and join the conversation, go to:
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