Unveiling Untold Russell Wilson Draft Story, Panthers HC Dave Canales Reveals How Steelers’ QB Transformed His Career

Pete Carroll did a favor when he assigned Dave Canales as the assistant strength coach at USC. It was 2009 and Carroll had to fly off to the ‘Evergreen State’ to kickstart his HC role. Parallelly, Dave and his wife Lizzy were seven months pregnant, watching over Catalina Island off the coast while remaining fairly uncertain about a college regime under a new coach. Just two weeks later, Carroll gave him a call, summoning him for a new role in the NFL. Soon after, Canales would find himself in the Seattle Seahawks’s receivers’ room to ultimately become the QB coach in 2018.

As the offensive coordinator at the time (2010-2017), Dave Canales expressed that he felt next to nothing about the team drafting a new quarterback. Little did he know how fast things would change. Canales, who is now the head coach for the Carolina Panthers, spoke to Foxsports.com’s Peter Schrager about his first impressions of Russell Wilson, which frankly resonated with many others… not to forget, with skepticism at the helm of things.

Well, skepticism because the Seahawks laughably signed free agent, Matt Flynn, to a three-year, $19.5 million contract in the offseason. And despite Flynn getting paid starting-quarterback money, he remained a backup, just as things were during his time with the Green Bay Packers.

Canales spoke about the summer of 2012 when a third-round pick would cause a massive upsurge in the team. “Let’s go record straight first. John Schneider was the one most fired up about Russell. The rest of us, we were like, ‘Oh, okay. Cool draft story’ […] He grew on us,” said Canales in hindsight about the No. 3.

Canales was in the office the next day, the day Wilson was drafted (April 27), when he got a call from his wife, who was 35 weeks pregnant with their second child (Benjamin). About to become a “rookie dad,” Canales panicked and rushed to the hospital to see his wife. What sounded like a false alarm at first turned out to be the most beautiful day of Dave’s life. He left his wife to rest when the doctor told him the baby was not due at the moment, but later got a call that he was about to be a father the same day.

The Panthers head coach added, “We draft Russell Wilson like, ‘Oh okay, great we got a quarterback you know let’s see what happens with this whole story,’ and then I ended up going back to the hospital, just hang out with her and as I get there, they’re like, ‘just kidding your baby is showing up today.”

“So, two men that will forever change my life, April 27, 2012. Russell Wilson, and Benjamin Canales, two men who like forever changed my life,” added the coach. But at the time, Canales might have not fully grasped the ramifications of getting Russ on the roster.

Just to jog your memory, ‘Showplace of the Nation’ Radio City Music Hall in New York hosting the 2012 NFL Draft was buzzing with anticipation. After all, the 3-day event then showed a record high of as many as 26 prospects attending it in person. But before we crack open the case for Super Bowl XLVIII Champion, consider the pre-draft measurable of the 11 QB draftees:

• Andrew Luck (1st overall by Colts): 6’4″
• Robert Griffin (2nd overall by Redskins): 6’2″
• Brandon Weeden (22nd overall by Browns): 6’3″
• Ryan Tannehill (8th overall by Dolphins): 6’3″
• Brock Osweiler (Round 2 | Pick 25 | 57th overall by Broncos): 6’6″
• Kirk Cousins (Round 4 | Pick 7 | 102nd overall by Redskins): 6’2″
• Nick Foles (Round 3 | Pick 25 | 88th overall by Eagles): 6’5″
• BJ Coleman (Round 7 | Pick 243 | 243rd overall by Packers): 6’3″
• Chandler Harnish (Round 7 | Pick 46 | 253rd overall by Colts): 6’2″
• Case Keenum (Undrafted): 6’1″

The only one missing from the list is Russell Wilson—who was not a round one, nor a round two, but a Round 3 and 75th overall pick by the Seahawks—stood tall at an uncharacteristic 5’10”. In hindsight, it is safe to assume that GM John Schneider almost took a gamble to wait till the third round for the sixth QB prospect to get drafted as the Broncos decided to draft Brock Osweiler as Peyton Manning’s backup instead.

Wilson instantly got the job of a starting quarterback the moment he stepped into their headquarters at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. They set him up with players like Marshawn Lynch, who was a great boost to his success. In his rookie year, Wilson made his regular season debut against the Arizona Cardinals, which resulted in a 20-16 loss.

Just a year on, Dave Canales and Co. was convinced of Wilson’s entry into the Seahawks

Wilson threw for 3,118 yards, 26 touchdowns, and completed 64.1% of his passes, finishing his debut season with an 11-5 record. Just a year into the league, the QB took his team to the NFC Divisional Playoff game, losing 30-28 to the Falcons.

Things would go supernova in the next season. Wilson’s confidence might have shot up after a great rookie year, as he admirably took his team to the Super Bowl against the Denver Broncos and beat them to a pulp. The Seattle Seahawks won the game by a landslide score of 43-8, where he threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Russ had 3,357 yards and scored 26 touchdowns in his Super Bowl season.

Yet, after 9 long seasons and a Super Bowl ring with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson sought a different trajectory and decided to move to the Denver Broncos, which didn’t end too well for him. He’s with the Steelers now and in the “pole position,” to lead his team. Can he replicate his rookie year in the ‘Steel City’?