Packers Running Back Has Night of His Life

Emanuel Wilson is in a battle for a roster spot. His first NFL game, however, meant much more than met the eye.

Author:
Jacob Westendorf
Updated:
Aug 12, 2023 9:09 AM EDT
Original:
Aug 11, 2023

In this story:

Think back to your first day on the job. There are nerves. There's emotion.

In a way, it can feel like the first day of school all over again.

That had to be what Green Bay Packers running back Emanuel Wilson was feeling like before he took the field for his first NFL game in Cincinnati.

As it turns out, Wilson's debut meant much more than what met the eye.

Before the game, Wilson shared the following from his X account.

Wilson was living out a childhood dream on a day that will always be significant to him for reasons that extend far beyond football. Fourteen years ago to the day, his father died.

Wilson told NFL Network that one of his last memories with his father was playing football in the yard. He said he could still hear his father saying, "Smurf, keep working, keep going."

Wilson was 10 when he lost his father.

Speaking from experience, that's a memory that never fades away. It stings at every turn.

For Wilson, he wanted to give up the very thing that was part of one of his final memories with his father.

"Honestly, I kept working. I just kept my faith in God. I wanted to stop playing football after my dad passed," Wilson told NFL Network's Bridget Condon after the game.

Instead of stopping, Wilson has excelled. Getting a chance to make an NFL roster is something most people can only dream of, let alone have the kind of night Wilson had against the Bengals.

In his NFL debut, Wilson ran for 111 yards and had two special moments.

Every player that has ever played in a football game dreams of scoring a touchdown.

Scoring a touchdown has to be even more significant when you believe someone is in the end zone waiting for you.

"My mom told me you can’t stop just because he’s gone. You’ve got to keep going. He’s always in your corner, always going to be there in the end zone. So today, I can't really explain it, I’m just blessed, God gave me this blessing."

Wilson scored two touchdowns, including an electric 80-yard run. He found his father in the end zone.

Aaron Jones has faced a similar tragedy in his own life. He understood the significance of the day and connected with Wilson after his first touchdown.

"I told him right after his first TD, that’s for your pops. He’s right out here with you and he has the best seat in the house. I’m very proud of him." Jones said to Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com.

Maybe Wilson will make the roster. Maybe he won't.

One thing is for certain. He didn't quit, even when he wanted to.

Now, he has a memory to last a lifetime while striving for something almost any boy dreams of.

He made his father proud.

"I can’t really explain the emotions, but I just know that he’s proud of me, reaching my goals and everything in life,” Wilson said after the game. “He’s always been with me since the day he died. I can’t even explain it. I just know that he was always here for me."