Zach Wilson
Zachary Kapono Wilson is an American football quarterback. He was considered a top quarterback prospect in the 2021 NFL Draft and was taken by the New York Jets in the first round. He was selected second overall. He signed a four-year, $35.15 million full guaranteed deal, along with a $22.9 million signing bonus and a fifth-year option. Two years into his contract, he is struggling, some predicting that the Jets were expected to dump Wilson in the off-season. Wilson also "indicated part of his offseason will be getting away from the field — something his head coach, Robert Saleh, suggested for his beleaguered quarterback last week, saying, 'We want to make sure we reconnect with Zach and regain his confidence — regain his confidence in himself and us, and us and him, all of us.'”[1]
Wilson was born in Draper, Utah, on August 3, 1999. He played for Brigham Young University. He was named the MVP of the 2018 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, BYU’s MVP in the 2019 Hawaii Bowl, and offensive MVP of the 2020 Boca Raton Bowl. He led the Cougars to a 11-1 record in 2020, with the Cougars finishing the season ranked No. 11 in the final Associated Press poll.
He is part Hawaiian on his father’s side—his middle name Kapono means “righteous” in the Hawaiian language. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, although Wikipedia reports that he was not a churchgoer growing up.[2]
The Jets will be the subject of the behind-the-scenes HBO show "Hard Knocks" and provide a look at the quarterback drama happening. Quarterback Aaron "Rodgers’ addition to the team means that Wilson — the former BYU signal caller who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft — has been relegated to the backup quarterback spot after struggling mightily in two seasons as the starter."[3]
“I’m very appreciative of him and how much he is willing to help me because he really doesn’t need to be that vocal. He honestly truly is an amazing friend, and obviously such an amazing quarterback, so I am learning a lot of football,” Wilson told reporters in June.[4]
