David Wilson said his farewell to the New York Giants and the NFL on Wednesday, ending the 23-year-old’s career before it could ever really get started.
After a promising stretch toward the end of his rookie season, Wilson was slated to be the new face of the Giants offense in 2013. But a slow start was followed by a neck injury, one that required neck fusion surgery.
Upon getting cleared and returning to training camp, Wilson suffered a neck burner and was advised by doctors not to continue his professional football career.
Wilson said his goodbyes Wednesday, but did so in an awe-inspiring way. The former NFL back is now looking forward to the next chapter of his life, and left us with some uplifting words.
Here’s the best six quotes from Wilson’s farewell speech, plus a sixth from his coach Tom Coughlin:
The teammate
“Every time I watch a Giants game or a football game and see people play that I actually had a chance to meet, I want to see them try to be great. Because it can be taken away.”
Tears of joy
“These are tears of joy, man. Don’t for a second you all think that I’m pitying myself or sad, because I got to live my dream. These are tears of joy because as I speak I realize how much people have helped me along the way.”
Land on your back
“I always say, ‘Plan to land on your back, because if you look up, you can get up. If you fall flat on your face, that can kill your spirit.”
Dreams
“Life will knock you down sometimes. We all go through obstacles in life. The main thing is, when you’re going through those obstacles, to stay focused and embrace faith and keep your dreams. Even if one dream fades away, set another goal. Set another dream and try to reach that.”
Remember the positives
“No need to dwell on the negative. You start dwelling on the negative and you feel sorrow. You don’t want to ever dwell in that moment. Because, at that point, you’re not living. And I’m still living.”
Coughlin: God has a plan for him
“God has another plan for him. That’s exactly what he said. Life’s full of challenges. All I do is try to tell them, prepare yourself for the next challenge. … And I think he’s already started thinking about that.”
