The Miami Dolphins jumped back on the field this week with their mandatory minicamp, and off the field, fans have a chance to “dive in” with the team’s staple podcast – “The Fish Tank.”
Usually a look into the past, this podcast is a fan favorite hosted by the duo of Seth Levit, formerly of the team’s public relations department, and legendary Dolphins wide receiver O.J. McDuffie. It’s always a bonus when a current Dolphin takes the dive into the tank, and running back Jeff Wilson Jr joined the fellas to talk football.
Wilson joined the Dolphins last season in a November trade with the San Fransisco 49ers and was reunited in Miami with running back teammate Raheem Mostert, and their former running game coordinator there, Mike McDaniel, who’s, of course, now the head coach for the aqua and orange.
As Wilson told Levit and McDuffie, his football journey started in Texas, and he detailed his youth in terms of spending time both in Dallas, as well as East Texas, having divorced parents. Wilson said that his time as both a city and country boy gave him “the best of both worlds.”
His father was a collegiate running back in his own right, so Wilson had the name recognition and would be told stories of his dad’s football accomplishments in his Texas hometown. As Wilson mentioned, these stories motivated him to make his own name for himself.
Wilson also told tales of watching the legendary Adrian Peterson, another Texas native, in high school. Peterson and Wilson were both from Palestine, Texas. Wilson described the viewing experience of the running back to Levit and McDuffie saying, “Greatness was right there, so it was hard not to try to reach for it.”
Wilson talked about his recruitment process while in high school, and how he ended up playing collegiately at North Texas. He had tremendous junior and senior years in 2016-17, and in those seasons, he totaled 2,151 yards and 30 rushing touchdowns. He finished his four years at North Texas as their fourth all-time rusher with 3,205 yards, third in rushing touchdowns with 32 and fourth in all-purpose yards with 4,009.
Ending up as an undrafted free agent in 2018 for the 49ers, Wilson attributed his success to “Mike,” as he affectionately spoke about his head coach. Wilson described that at the time, it was McDaniel who showed confidence in his ability for the NFL game.
Wilson said that he felt a certain energy about his coach, even when he was the San Fransisco run-game coordinator and came to North Texas to see him play. Wilson said that he knew that McDaniel had head coaching ability and eventually would become one.
As for his presence in Miami as a head coach, Wilson said, “If you can come in and grab a group of men that early, and make them get behind and follow you…obviously with the help of your coaches and staff and everybody around the facility, but if you can get a group of men to believe in you that fast; that speaks for itself.”
Wilson went on to talk about his once again backfield teammate Mostert.
“It’s like you get to play in the league with your actual brother,” Wilson said. “I call his sons my nephew, he calls my son his nephew.”
Last season in Miami, not counting Wilson’s games in San Francisco, he and Mostert combined for 1,283 yards on 265 carries. Which was good for a 4.8-yard per-carry average. Wilson added his personal expectations, goals and aspirations, as well as a bit of what is ahead for him and the Dolphins this season.
