Gibril Wilson
Encyclopedia
Gibril Donald Wilson is an American football
safety for the Cincinnati Bengals
of the National Football League
. He was drafted by the New York Giants
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Tennessee
.
Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders
and Miami Dolphins
.
at both wide receiver
and defensive back
position at Oak Grove High School
, he drew little attention from any Division I schools. He initially attended City College of San Francisco
, and two years later was the top recruited junior college safety choosing Tennessee
over Southern California, Oregon
and Florida
.
by the New York Giants
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
, with whom he later won Super Bowl XLII
. In his four years with the team, he started 51 of 52 games, recording 360 tackles
, six sacks
, and 11 interceptions.
, making him one of the highest paid safeties in NFL history.
Wilson was released by the Raiders after only one season with the team on February 20, 2009. He finished the season with 129 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
on February 26, 2009. The contract was worth $27.5 million with $8 million guaranteed. There was much hype surrounding him as it was believed he could be a solid starter at the free safety position. However, this hype quickly disappeared as he could not effectively cover TEs or RBs. In fact, he was the main culprit in the secondary, which was allowing pass plays of 25 yards or more. His ineptness at his new position was exposed greatly on Monday Night Football
in Week 2 of the 2009 season against the Indianapolis Colts
. On the first play of the game, QB Peyton Manning
dropped back to throw and rifled a pass down the middle to Dallas Clark
. Wilson failed to tackle Clark, and what was just a 20 yard pass, turned into an 88 yard touchdown
. This was just a small example of a relatively disappointing season with 93 tackles, one sack, and no interceptions. Wilson was released on March 5, 2010.
on May 6, 2010. During a preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles, he injured the ACL
and MCL
in his left knee. Following surgery he sat out the 2010 season.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety for the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
Wilson earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. He has also played for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
College career
Although he excelled in footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at both wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
position at Oak Grove High School
Oak Grove High School (San Jose, California)
Oak Grove High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California which serves students in grades 9–12. Average student enrollment is 2800 students, compared to the state average of 900 students. The school is part of the East Side Union High School District...
, he drew little attention from any Division I schools. He initially attended City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco
City College of San Francisco, or CCSF, is a two-year community college in San Francisco, California. The Ocean Avenue campus, in the Ingleside neighborhood, is the college's primary location...
, and two years later was the top recruited junior college safety choosing Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
over Southern California, Oregon
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
and Florida
Florida State Seminoles football
The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
New York Giants
He was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fifth round of the 2004 NFL Draft
2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
, with whom he later won Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. In his four years with the team, he started 51 of 52 games, recording 360 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, six sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
, and 11 interceptions.
Oakland Raiders
In 2008, Wilson signed a six-year, $39 million contract with the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, making him one of the highest paid safeties in NFL history.
Wilson was released by the Raiders after only one season with the team on February 20, 2009. He finished the season with 129 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions.
Miami Dolphins
Wilson agreed to a five-year contract with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on February 26, 2009. The contract was worth $27.5 million with $8 million guaranteed. There was much hype surrounding him as it was believed he could be a solid starter at the free safety position. However, this hype quickly disappeared as he could not effectively cover TEs or RBs. In fact, he was the main culprit in the secondary, which was allowing pass plays of 25 yards or more. His ineptness at his new position was exposed greatly on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
in Week 2 of the 2009 season against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. On the first play of the game, QB Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
dropped back to throw and rifled a pass down the middle to Dallas Clark
Dallas Clark
Dallas Dean Clark is an American football tight end for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Colts 24th overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Iowa...
. Wilson failed to tackle Clark, and what was just a 20 yard pass, turned into an 88 yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. This was just a small example of a relatively disappointing season with 93 tackles, one sack, and no interceptions. Wilson was released on March 5, 2010.
Cincinnati Bengals
Wilson signed with the Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
on May 6, 2010. During a preseason game with the Philadelphia Eagles, he injured the ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
in his left knee. Following surgery he sat out the 2010 season.