Russell Wilson Addresses Concerns of his Personal Coach Being Around Broncos HQ
Training camp is underway for the Denver Broncos, who kicked off their camp on Wednesday with a good showing by the defense. However, Russell Wilson led the offense to make some big plays.
Among Broncos fans, there has been some concern about how involved Wilson's personal coaches have been. The worry has stemmed from the potential for conflict between Wilson's personal coach and the Broncos' coaching staff, but the QB himself seems to have found that balance to keep it from being problematic.
"For me, I have always been about the extra work," Wilson said. "If somebody says, ‘You have to do X amount,’ then I triple it. That’s just how I have always been. For me, I’m here early at 5:15 in the morning getting extra work—whatever the need, going through plays. It’s a 365-day job. This isn’t a thing where you are just out here for six months, seven months and just get out here and play games for fun. This is my livelihood. This is everything that I do. I want to become a master of the game every single day. That’s why I have a great team that I do around me, as well this coaching staff, too."
One thing that cannot be questioned is Wilson's drive to be better than he's ever been. His team of personal coaches around him is just helping him reach the heights he wants to.
It's work away from work, which isn't inherently a bad thing. Wilson is a smart man and a great football player. That has always been obvious when you listen to him talk about it, which is also the case for his love of the game and desire for greatness.
It's refreshing to see because Denver hasn't seemed had that kind of dedication since Peyton Manning. With the Broncos being a younger team, having that kind of work ethic from the team's leader is contagious and spreads throughout the locker room.
"Having Jake Heaps, who has played in the National Football League," Wilson said. "It’s very rare for guys to play in the National Football League, especially to play quarterback. So, with Jake and I in the same room together to see his knowledge of the game, his understanding of the game, how he sees it. We may be flying somewhere, or whatever it is, and I’m getting battered and quizzed for two and a half hours straight. It’s great, though, because that relentless approach of always understanding, always learning, always looking for more, always studying the film, always doing the extra work—that’s where the separation is. I’ve always said separation is preparation."
Listening to Wilson praise Heaps isn't surprising. While he was viewed as a long shot to make it in the NFL, Heaps was known for intelligence. Heaps spent time with Seattle on two separate occasions and then appeared on ESPN Radio in Seattle.
It's clear that in that short time working alongside him, Wilson took to Heaps and his football intangibles. Having an extra mind around that understands things on a similar level to bounce things off of can only be beneficial.
Wilson having a balance and clear separation between his personal coaches and the team's coaching should be good. However, time will only tell whether it ends up being problematic.
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