Martez Wilson
Encyclopedia
Martez Jerome Wilson is an American football
linebacker
for the New Orleans Saints
. Wilson is considered to be one of the best outside linebackers of his class.
Wilson attended Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois, where he recorded 240 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his senior season. He was an All-American selection by USA Today, Parade
, SuperPrep, PrepStar and also played in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Wilson was listed as the No. 2 weakside defensive end in the class of 2007.
Arriving at Illinois as a highly touted recruit, did not live up to the expectations in his first two years. In the season opener of his junior year, he suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2009 season. He was granted a medical hardship waiver and retained a year of eligibility. In 2010, he evolved into one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten Conference, ranking second in the conference in tackles (9.1 tackles per game) midway through the season.
Wilson announced his decision to forgo his senior season, and enter the 2011 NFL Draft
, on January 10, 2011.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. Wilson is considered to be one of the best outside linebackers of his class.
Wilson attended Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, Illinois, where he recorded 240 tackles, seven sacks, one interception, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in his senior season. He was an All-American selection by USA Today, Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
, SuperPrep, PrepStar and also played in the 2007 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
. Regarded as a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Wilson was listed as the No. 2 weakside defensive end in the class of 2007.
Arriving at Illinois as a highly touted recruit, did not live up to the expectations in his first two years. In the season opener of his junior year, he suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which forced him to miss the remainder of the 2009 season. He was granted a medical hardship waiver and retained a year of eligibility. In 2010, he evolved into one of the best linebackers in the Big Ten Conference, ranking second in the conference in tackles (9.1 tackles per game) midway through the season.
Wilson announced his decision to forgo his senior season, and enter the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, on January 10, 2011.