Striving for success
Wilson competes for starting QB job
Jimmy Carter
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: Sports
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His competition could have been Jacob Bowers, G.J. Kinne and Shavodrick Beaver.
Those are the three quarterbacks competing for Tulsa's starting job.
Wilson very easily could have been right in the thick of that competition instead of locked into a battle at Arkansas with Ryan Mallett and Jim Youngblood.
The Greenwood native was not offered a scholarship by former Razorback coach Houston Nutt despite accumulating over 8,100 yards passing and 93 touchdowns through the air in two seasons at Greenwood High School. Wilson was rated the eighth-best quarterback in the nation by ESPN and was committed to the Golden Hurricane, and also sported offers from LSU, Alabama and Missouri.
But Wilson didn't hold a grudge against Arkansas and was thrilled when Bobby Petrino took the job and made offering a scholarship to Wilson one of his first acts as the Razorbacks' head coach.
"I had other places to go to, but I always liked Arkansas," Wilson said. "It's been a dream to play in front of the home stands and home crowd and that's what you want to do growing up."
"When coach Petrino came here and offered me I took it right away. I wouldn't change it for the world."
That same patience allows Wilson to stand coolly in the pocket and deliver a strike with the defense breathing down his neck.
As a freshman Wilson saw mop-up duty against Texas and Alabama, throwing for 69 yards and a touchdown as Casey Dick's backup. But he then contracted mononucleosis which effectively ended his first season in Fayetteville. He was awarded a medical redshirt and will again be a freshman this fall.
Wilson made strides while going through his first collegiate spring practice. He completed 17-of-27 passes for 360 yards with five touchdown tosses and one interception in Saturday's scrimmage, capping a strong week of practice.
"Tyler's doing some real nice things," Petrino said. "He's throwing the ball real well. (He has) the ability to move in the pocket. He has to be able to handle the blitz. I think that's his biggest thing and then continue to work on playing the position from underneath the center."
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