Many players from the Pittsburgh Steelers have their own stories of how they made it to the NFL, whether they were able to stay on the team or not. Even the stars of the team have had to face a lot of adversity before being the guys that the rookies and prospects idolize. The players from the 2024 Steelers draft class all have their own personal stories of how they got here, and one player went into detail as to why he's in Pittsburgh and how he became the man he is today.
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Former University of Michigan wide receiver and now Steelers pass-catcher Roman Wilson celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a collegiate football contest in Ann Harbor, MI.
All these players' dreams are becoming a reality with rookie minicamps going on. During Day 2 of rookie minicamp, Roman Wilson got the chance to speak with the media about the whole experience. He was asked about everything that happened in his freshman year of high school, including an unusually long commute to and from school every day.
"At the time, I felt like that was my only opportunity to get a chance to make it to college and make it to the NFL, so I was telling [my new teammates], 'If you felt like that was your only opportunity, you would do it to,' but in the moment, it really didn't feel that crazy. I'm just chasing my dreams."
Wilson had a four-hour round-trip commute to and from Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He made sure it was all worth it. Wilson was a major catalyst for Saint Louis' four consecutive state championships, which led to him being recruited by the Michigan Wolverines, where he would later commit to.
Wolverine Digest / SI
Steelers' Roman Wilson during a photoshoot with Michigan.
Steelers Know They Have A Guy That Will Do Anything To Succeed
Every single day of Wilson's freshman year, his commute would involve taking a plane into Oahu, then riding a public bus from the airport to the school. Now that Wilson has won a National Championship and signed his rookie contract with the Steelers, he cherishes that part of his life and wouldn't have it any other way.
"It was a couple hours every morning [and every evening], and I was pretty much by myself at all times. It is what it was. For me, it was really hard, but you know, it made me mature and grow up at a young age, and it made me who I am now."
Wilson went from a kid that had to travel alone every day of his life, to a college champion. If there was any question on how much he truly wanted this moment now, it has officially been answered. He sacrificed so much time just to have a chance to play football, let alone make it all the way to the NFL.
Rookie Roman Wilson on joining the #Steelers impressive list of WRs drafted outside of the first round.
— Aaron Becker (@Aaron_M_Becker) May 11, 2024
“For me, it means a lot. … A lot of great guys have been drafted here and played receiver. It just means a lot for me to be mentioned in that group of guys already.” pic.twitter.com/YYEI94cXiw
While it doesn't seem like much, Wilson sacrificed a lot just to get to Steelers rookie minicamp. Because of the daily solo commutes, along with school and football, he was unable to have much of a social life. He even talked about how he had to give up the joys of being a kid during his freshman year, just so he could play high school football. If you want to see true commitment, Roman Wilson is living proof of it.
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What do you think about Wilson's journey to the NFL? Would you do what he did just for a chance of success? Let us know in the comments.
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