Former New York Giants running back David Wilson, who had to give up his NFL career earlier this month because of a neck injury, has decided to resurrect his career as a track athlete.
Wilson, 23, told reporters Monday that he will start training as a triple jumper, with an eye on making the 2016 Olympic team. Wilson competed in the event in high school and at Virginia Tech, and he said he will train with his former track coach on campus at Virginia Tech.
He has a long way to go to become an elite triple jumper: His best jump was 53 feet, 1.75 inches, which was good enough for a sixth-place finish at the 2011 NCAA outdoor championships. The United States' Christian Taylor won the 2012 Olympic gold medal in the event with a leap of 17.81 meters, which equates to 58.4 feet. Wilson's best-ever triple jump would have netted him a 10th-place finish at the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials.
He was a high school triple jumper of some renown, winning the national championship at the Nike Indoor Meet with a leap of 51-5.75. He was a two-time triple-jump state champion in high school in Virginia.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
