Russell Wilson credits Colorado Rockies for helping bring him to Denver
Mar 16, 2022, 4:16 PM
The biggest fan of the Colorado Rockies may have just moved to Denver.
It could be Russell Wilson. Seriously.
The new quarterback of the Broncos was introduced on Wednesday afternoon at UCHealth Training Center and raved about his experiences with the Rockies. The team drafted Wilson to play baseball in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft, but he of course, ended up becoming a football star in college and with the Seahawks.
Right off the top of his first Broncos press conference, though, the Rockies were top of mind. As well as a personal family tragedy. Wilson mentioned the team in his opening remarks.
“I got drafted in baseball on June 8, 2010 by the Colorado Rockies. And the next day my dad passed away. And it was one of the hardest days of my life because it was the highest (of the highs), the lowest of lows within 24 hours. And how the Colorado Rockies organization took hold of me and took care of me. A lot of other great people in this community really took me on their wing. And it really meant a lot to me along the way, knowing that even though it was a hard time people supported me,” Wilson said.
He then went on to mention several members of the organization that fans will recognize by name.
“I remember my locker being between Todd Helton and (Troy) Tulowitzki and some other greats and Matt Holliday, different people, (Carlos Gonzalez). So I was fortunate to be around some amazing people. And the city has meant a lot to me even from back then,” Wilson said.
While fans have joked Wilson should play for the talent starved Rockies, he knew a long time ago his future probably wasn’t going to be with them, but could be with the Broncos. Wilson told a story about coming to Denver and being at Coors Field, but his mind was on Mile High Stadium.
“I remember being here in 2010, I came out for a game (and) I got to hit with the big league team. I remember sitting down at home plate and Mark (Rodgers, Wilson’s agent) was sitting to my left and I remember he said to me ‘you’re going to play in this stadium one day.’ And I kind of looked over and said ‘I’m going to play in that stadium too one day.’ And so it’s cool to be here,” Wilson said.
There’s no doubt the city of Denver, and the Rockies, made an impression on Wilson more than 12 years ago. On a day that was all about leading the Broncos to multiple Super Bowls, Wilson took two trips down memory lane to talk about the Rockies.
And while the MLB team in Colorado probably won’t win much in 2022, they did help lay the groundwork for Wilson more than a decade ago to now call Denver home.
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