Russell Wilson - NC State Alum...Kinda

Remember when Russell Wilson wore the NC State Wolfpack uniform? Most fans don't. In the time that has passed since I walked that campus, he is one of the few athletes that I could collect because he went to the same school I did. Mario Williams is currently one of the few non-Bronco NFL players that I actively acquire and it is for that exact reason. To this point, I haven't added Wilson to my list because I've been holding a grudge. It all started when he opted to transfer to Wisconsin, forsaking my beloved Wolfpack. Some time went by and I began to consider collecting his cards(and cheering for him). Then he led the dismantling of the Broncos in the Super Bowl and my grudge was renewed. Earlier this year, I began to soften once again. I had no choice but to cheer for him in the Super Bowl against the Patriots. Heck, I even thought he was going to win a second straight championship(like everyone else in the free world). Well, we all know what happened there. However, the way that he handled that loss was admirable. I was once again considering adding him to my player collections, but I needed something to kick start the collection. I had accumulated a few sporadic base cards, some random inserts, and his Bowman Chrome Rockies card from a few years back. I certainly didn't have anything I could consider to be the card that ties him into my collecting habits. Earlier this summer at The National, that all changed. Panini happened to release this gem in their National Convention exclusive set:

It's Russell, it's baseball, and he's wearing an NC State uniform. This is a great card! It's probably my favorite Panini card that I own. The fact that it is an event-specific exclusive card just helps complete the parallel that has finally pushed me over the edge into officially collecting Russell Wilson cards. As most of you know, one of my other favorite NFL players also played baseball for a team that I really like and one of my favorite cards of his came from an All-Star FanFest exclusive giveaway and shows him in the baseball team's uniform. That other player is, of course, John Elway. Anyway, there you have it. I guess I'm officially on the lookout for the Seahawks quarterback. It's probably for the better, holding grudges isn't very healthy anyway!