Russell Wilson once claimed to bully people before faith 'saved' him - "I threw kids against the wall"
Russell Wilson has been a fierce competitor since he joined the NFL in 2012. He used that tenacity to earn nine Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl title.
But the former North Carolina State and Wisconsin standout used to channel his energy the wrong way.
In an article he wrote for The Players' Tribune in October 2014, he admitted to being a bully in elementary and high school.
“I used to beat people up. Truthfully, I used to beat people up a lot. Many of you readers probably think I have been Mr. Goody Two-Shoes my whole life, but honestly, I was a bully growing up.
“I threw kids against the wall. I rubbed their heads in the dirt at recess. I bit them. I even knocked teeth out.”
Coincidentally, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. However, the Virginia native controlled his rage through religion.
“I had a lot of anger that I didn’t know what to do with. Thankfully, I was saved by my faith when I was 14 years old and was able to start living for others instead of just myself.”
Russell Wilson tackled an issue bigger than football
The article parlayed into domestic violence, which he said was taboo for the league. He cited an article from the Hartford Courant that said shelters turn away up to 10,000 American domestic violence victims daily.
To help address the issue, Russell Wilson established the Why Not You Foundation to raise funds for worthy causes. One was the Pass the Peace initiative in support of domestic violence victims. He urged readers to make a $2 donation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
The 13-year NFL veteran ended the article:
“I can’t fix the world. I can’t fix the NFL. I can’t change the guys around me. The only person I can change is the one in the mirror. I’m not a perfect person by any means. I’m just a recovering bully.”
“But if we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it. For those of us in the NFL, there’s no excuse for violence off the field.”
Aside from this cause, Wilson used his platform to support several charitable works throughout his pro football career.
He used to visit the Seattle Children's Hospital on off days from Seattle Seahawks activities and conducted the Russell Wilson Passing Academy football camp. In 2012, proceeds from the camp went to the Charles Ray III Diabetes Association.
His Why Not You Foundation raised over $1 million for Seattle Children's Hospital's Strong Against Cancer initiative. He and his wife, musician/businesswoman Ciara, donated one million meals to Food Lifeline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite switching to the Denver Broncos, Wilson continues his humanitarian efforts by donating $500,000 to Colorado-based non-profit organizations.
While these are all good intentions, an investigation by the USA Today Network accused Russell Wilson's foundation spends only a quarter of its funds on charitable causes.