David Wilson had a tremendously tough break and a remarkably upbeat attitude about it.
Wilson, the New York Giants' first-round pick in 2012, walked away from the game before the 2014 season because of a neck injury. He broke down in tears during a press conference to announce his premature retirement, but said they were tears of joy.
"I got to live my dream," Wilson said then. "I'll set another dream, and be great at that."
And a year later, Wilson has reemerged. He's making his pro track debut on Saturday at the adidas Grand Prix in Randall's Island, N.Y. He will be competing in the triple jump. Wilson said late last year he had an eye on competing in the 2016 Olympics.
Wilson isn't new to track. He was a national champion in high school in the triple jump. At Virginia Tech he finished sixth in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships in 2011. He also was an accomplished relay runner at Virginia Tech. All that came while he devoted most of his time to being a standout running back for the Hokies. Wilson won't turn 24 until June 15, so he has plenty of time to establish a track career now that he can concentrate on it full time.
It was a sad day when Wilson retired, but he told everyone he wouldn't dwell on the negative. Clearly he wasted no time living up to those words.
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