Nick Wilson knows what people think about him, what they say.
Heโs eternally banged up, always injured, it seems. Arizona might as well name its weekly injury report after him.
Recently, a fan tweeted about Wilsonโs proclivity for injuries and missing games. The senior running back went out of his way to respond to the tweet: โYeah, and your point is?โ
โI appreciate my fans,โ Wilson said. โBut a lot of people donโt know whatโs actually going on.โ
The frustration from Arizonaโs fan base with Wilson is manufactured largely because of what heโs shown when heโs been healthy. As a freshman, he ran for 1,375 yards and 16 touchdowns and missed only one game. He then ran for 559 rushing yards and five touchdowns through the first four games of 2015.
Two weeks later, he left a game against Oregon State early with an injury, and heโs never been quite the same.
Arizona releases weekly injury reports a few days before each game. Since Week 6 of the 2015 season, Wilson has been listed on 16 of UAโs 23 reports with varying knee, ankle and foot injuries.
Counting that Oregon State game in 2015, Wilson has either missed or left early in 20 of Arizonaโs last 24 games. After opening his career with nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns in his first 17 games, heโs played in only 13 games since and rushed for 660 yards and seven touchdowns.
Heโs already left one game early this season (Northern Arizona) after coming down awkwardly on an offensive lineman and injuring his foot. He missed the Houston game a week later. So far this season, Wilson has rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries while splitting touches in the backfield with sophomore J.J. Taylor.
Now Wilson is back, heโs healthy and feels that, as a running back, heโs better than heโs ever been.
The Star spoke with Wilson this week and talked about his Arizona career and whatโs in store for the rest of the way.
How do you feel when you see people cracking jokes or criticizing you for going through all the injuries youโve experienced?
A: โIt doesnโt really matter to me. Nobody else goes through it, people donโt know the hours you have to spend in extra treatment, taking away from your personal time. You have to go in there, sit in the cold tub for hours on end, doing things you donโt want to do, but you got to do. Itโs just unfortunate. If you look at all the injuries Iโve had, itโs been really bad luck. Itโs random stuff.
โIโve never had any major, major injuries. Iโve never had surgery or anything like that. Thatโs just how it is. In the times I have had injuries, Iโve played through major injuries.
โPeople who question my toughness or anything like that, Iโm not worried about it. Itโs just people wanting to say stuff.โ
How frustrating was it not being to play or help in such a close game (UA lost 19-16) against Houston?
A: โIt was pretty frustrating especially knowing how I hurt my ankle, just some random stepping on a lineman. I probably couldโve pushed through it but I donโt know how productive I wouldโve been. It was a game-time decision the coaches made.
โIt was tough seeing that it came down the last little bit, but I was able to come back and the way the schedule was it worked out.โ
What happened on the drop you had late in the game against Utah?
A: โTo be honest with you, and not a lot of people knew, but I could not see the ball. It got lost in the light. I had to guess.
โI felt awful. Itโs happened a couple times (before) but not like that. Like legit, the only the time I saw the ball was when it left his hand and when it hit my hand. I had to guess. It was unfortunate, but it is what it is.โ
Do you feel like youโre at the level you were playing at as a freshman?
A: โI know a lot more. As a freshman I was a lot lighter and just throwing my body out there. As a senior now, I know what I have to do, how plays are supposed to work, where the ball is supposed to go, knowing what everybody else is doing.
โSo that athletic ability and explosive ability, itโll come because Iโve done it, I know how to do it and Iโve seen it. Itโs just that knowledge.โ
Youโve been through a lot in your career, from the injuries and the teamโs ups and downs. Whatโs it like knowing that youโre entering the final stretch of your college career?
A: โIt really has flown by. I think I was the last class to be recruited when the football staff was in the old building (at McKale Center). My first recruiting trip I remember going to the old building and seeing RichRod down there in McKale.
โI remember that vividly. (Lowell-Stevens Football Facility) wasnโt even built yet. Coach Rod was telling me about how it was getting built. Itโs crazy now, Iโm just a couple months to being done.โ
Does that make you go even harder, just knowing you only have a limited number of games left before itโs over?
A: โIโll always grind, no matter what Iโm doing. We can be down by 60, Iโll still play as hard as I can. Thatโs just always how Iโve played, from Pop Warner all the way to now.โ
