Russell Wilson: If I didn't want to get hit, I'd be playing tennis
Quarterbacks don’t like to get hit.
That’s become the overwhelming misconception as the rules of football continue to change to try and take some of the unnecessary violence out of the game. A lot of these new rules – of course – protect the offensive players and quarterbacks in particular.
Well, Russell Wilson came to put the myth that quarterbacks don’t like getting hit to rest.
He did a one-on-one interview with NFL.com and spoke briefly about the violence of the game and how he doesn’t mind taking some of the shots week after week:
Obviously, if we didn’t want to get hit, we’d be playing a different sport. That’s just the truth. If I didn’t want to get hit, I’d be playing tennis. But I think that in terms of being smart on the field, you gotta get down and protect yourself.
For me in particular, I just try to play the game in a smart way. I try to get down early and protect myself as much as I can.
It’s pretty clear that Wilson doesn’t mind the contact that comes with being a quarterback in the NFL. It’s also clear that he doesn’t think tennis is a very tough sport.
OK, maybe he didn’t say that.
Wilson has completed 158-of-241 passes through seven games this season, throwing five TDs and two INTs. He’s been sacked 12 times on the year.
Wilson played at Wisconsin in 2011, throwing 33 TDs and just four INTs in one season in Madison.
