“Why not you?” These three words, spoken by Harrison Wilson III to his son Russell, would shape the trajectory of an NFL superstar’s life. Now, 14 years after his father’s passing, Russell Wilson‘s emotional response to a family throwback photo proves the enduring power of those words.
Harrison Benjamin Wilson IV, Russell’s older brother, today shared a nostalgic snapshot on social media. The image captured their father, Harrison III, at his 1980 University of Virginia School of Law graduation. “Pops. @uvalaw graduation 1980. #legacy,” Harry captioned the photo, igniting a flame of remembrance.
Russell’s reaction was swift and heartfelt. He reshared the image with a poignant message: “Though I am missing you. Miss you dad!” This simple yet powerful statement offers a window into the quarterback’s soul, revealing the deep impact his father continues to have on his life.
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The Wilson family’s story is a tapestry woven with threads of academic excellence, athletic prowess, and unwavering determination. Harrison III, a standout receiver at Dartmouth College, set records and earned First Team All-Ivy honors in 1976. He broke a 23-year-old team record for receiving yards and even tried out for the San Diego Chargers in 1980, playing throughout the preseason before being cut later that year.
But Harrison III’s influence extended far beyond the gridiron. As Russell once shared with ESPN, “My dad, when I was young, he always inspired me. He used to always ask me the question, ‘Son, why not you? Why don’t you play pro baseball? Why don’t you play pro football?'” These questions planted seeds of ambition that would eventually blossom into an NFL career.
The Wilson household was a crucible of high expectations and unconditional support. Tammy Wilson, Russell’s mother and a former emergency room nurse, played an equally crucial role. Russell’s uncle, Benjamin Wilson, recalled in a Dartmouth profile as reported by PEOPLE, “It started with hard work, and they were expected to excel academically and to study hard. That was pretty firm. You weren’t going to play if you didn’t do well in school.”
The Wilson legacy flourishes from Courtroom to Football field
This family ethos of excellence has borne fruit across generations. Harry, the eldest Wilson sibling, has carved out his own path as an entrepreneur. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Limitless Minds, he’s continuing the family tradition of pushing boundaries and inspiring others.
Russell’s journey to NFL stardom is well-documented, but it’s his off-field endeavors that truly showcase his father’s lasting impact. The quarterback’s Why Not You Foundation, inspired by his father’s famous question, aims to empower change in the world. As Russell shared with the Seattle Seahawks, “My dad always told me, it’s the hashmark in between of significance that you can leave on a place. You always want to leave a place better.”
The Wilson legacy now extends to a new generation. Russell and his wife, singer Ciara, are raising four children: Future Zahir, Sienna Princess, Win Harrison, and Amora Princess. The couple’s blended family embodies the values of love and acceptance that Harrison III and Tammy instilled in their children.
Ciara beautifully captured their family dynamic in a GQ interview: “I feel like, if I could look back in a crystal ball when I was a little girl and I looked at the idea of my family and what it would be for me, it’s exactly this.” Russell added, “Every day I come home from work and it’s late at night, it’s after film and practice and all that, and me and Ciara are together, and we just smile from ear-to-ear in the kitchen because we realize that our family is a beautiful blended family but it’s also, you know, our family. It’s us.”
The strength of the Wilson family bond was tested in June 2010 when Harrison III passed away due to complications from diabetes. His health struggles had been a family concern for years. In a touching tribute on the 10th anniversary of his father’s death, Russell wrote on Instagram, “Dad, I miss you everyday. You were and still are one of my greatest inspirations. You helped instill Perspective, Vision & Belief in me. 3 things necessary for not only success but overcoming.”
Russell’s sister, Anna Wilson, followed in the family’s athletic footsteps, playing basketball at Stanford University. This further demonstrates the family’s commitment to both academic and athletic excellence.
The Wilson family’s story is also one of unwavering support and love. In a poignant anecdote shared by Russell in The Player’s Tribune in 2017, he recalled how his mother stayed by his father’s side during a critical health scare. “She was alone with him in the room that night, and she bent down on one knee and started singing her favorite song from church to him. It’s called ‘All By Grace,'” Russell wrote. “After a few minutes, he started moving his hand a bit.”
This devotion to family is a trait Russell has carried forward. In 2019, he surprised his mother Tammy with a new home for Mother’s Day. In a YouTube video capturing the moment, he said, “All these years you have never asked me for anything… only thing you ever wanted is for me to LOVE.”
Tammy’s influence extends beyond her immediate family. When Russell married Ciara, who had a son from a previous relationship, Tammy offered sage advice in 2016. “So I said to him, ‘OK, if you’re really serious about it then you have to love that kid as if it were your own, even if that means that you give that kid your name,'” she shared.
As Russell navigates his new chapter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his father’s words – “Why not you?” – continue to echo, inspiring not just a quarterback, but a father, a philanthropist, and a man determined to leave the world better than he found it.
