The Rush: Russell Wilson on SBLV, his relationship with Kobe Bryant’s family and more
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson joins Jared on The Rush, revealing his prediction for the Brady vs. Mahomes Super Bowl LV showdown, the x-factor that separates winners from losers, his beef with Jared’s brother and NFL foe Calais Campbell, how Ciara helped him get his groove back, and how much Vanessa Bryant and her daughters mean to him a year after Kobe’s death.
Video Transcript
JARED QUAY: What's up, everybody? I'm here with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Russ, how are you doing today, brother?
RUSSELL WILSON: Hey, I'm doing pretty good. I'm a little upset right now. First of all, for two reasons. Number 1, I'm not playing the Super Bowl.
Number two you're Calais Campbell's brother, so I heard that the most that he has is on me. So I'm a little frustrated that I'm on the phone with you right now. But I'm going to do this interview anyway.
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JARED QUAY: Let's talk about the big game. I know you're a little sad that you're not in it, but you can at least watch it, right? Who you got? Who you got wining this one?
RUSSELL WILSON: Oh, man. It's going to be a close match-up. Obviously, Tom with his success over the years. Patrick, you know, to be back in back to back Super Bowls. And I understand what that's like. What a blessing.
So I think this game's going to be a tight one. I think it's going to be a good, high scoring game, but I think it's going to be close one. I think the Bucs pull it off by four. I think the final score will be 31-27. That's my prediction.
JARED QUAY: You've been in the playoffs a lot. In fact, you only had one year you didn't have double digit wins. What does it feel like to get so close to the Super Bowl every year and, I mean, and lose it? Obviously, you lost a pretty tough one too. Is that like the worst feeling? Is that worse than going like, you know, first pick in the draft worst record?
RUSSELL WILSON: I think over the years we've been able to win more games than anybody. I think winning is a habit. There is that extra step, and I think it's great players around you. I think it's a great system and just great moments.
And I think all that has to come together. I think it's important we all to come together in one great year. And so I've been fortunate to be able to hold that Lombardi trophy up, and there's no greater feeling than that. You know, that trophy's warm. You know, and we hold it, and it's a warm feeling. So hopefully we can get back to that to do that again.
JARED QUAY: You won a championship in New York, and we was in New York. And it was a warm trophy in one of the coldest Super Bowls ever.
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, it was cold one, but it was a good one. That's for sure.
JARED QUAY: You know what's crazy? We had George Fant on our show yesterday. My question to you-- and I'm going to ask him-- is the dancing getting better because he got Ciara? Or was he always just--
GEORGE FANT: Yeah, yeah. It's that. Hey, it's Ciara. Ciara's got him right. Ciara got him right. You tell him I said that. Definitely Ciara got him right.
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah, listen. I got my moves, but she's showing me the way.
JARED QUAY: Well, when are going to see these transitions, man? When are we going to get you to do a touchdown dance and then go into like, the tootsie slide, man? When are we going to get this on the field?
RUSSELL WILSON: Hey, one of these days I'm going to have to pull one of those out, you know. But for me, man, my dad used to always tell me, son, you should always expect to score. Yeah, I'm going to work on it. I may have to hop in with the receivers and do a little something. I may have to have a rendition for you.
JARED QUAY: Also, you and Ciara actually spent a lot of time with Vanessa Bryant and her daughters. How is your relationship with that family, especially since Kobe passed?
RUSSELL WILSON: Their family means the world to us, obviously, and they're such great people. Obviously, losing Kobe's always been such a tough thing in everybody's world just because he was such a tremendous athlete, a tremendous player, all the things that he was able to do for the game.
He's a girl dad. I'm a girl dad. And then also Gigi too. But yeah, man, obviously we miss Kobe every day.
JARED QUAY: Russ, I appreciate you coming to rush with me, man. Keep balling, man. I thought this was one of your best years ever, and so let's keep building on this one, man, because you and Calais ain't in the same conference anymore. So he can't even sack you anymore, so that'll work.
RUSSELL WILSON: Yeah. Man, listen, Calais has been such a tremendous player. Obviously, him winning Man of the Year and all the things he's done. And he's one of my favorite guys in the NFL. So I'm grateful for this opportunity to obviously be on here with you, man. And as I always say, go Hawks.
JARED QUAY: Ah, man. Thank you, man. I Appreciate you.
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