Ex-Giant David Wilson sets sights on U.S. Olympic team

Former New York Giants running back David Wilson had to end his football career after a serious neck injury in 2013, but isn't leaving his dream of athletic competition back on the football field.

Wilson will participate in the triple jump at the Adidas Grand Prix NYC this Saturday and has his mind set on making the U.S. Olympic team.

The 23-year-old Wilson's promising career was cut short after being taken in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, but chose to step away from the game after less than two full seasons. The Giants officially released him in February after he was injured in a 2013 game and told that he could become seriously injured if he played football again.

"I got to live my dream," Wilson said at an emotional August press conference announcing the decision. "I'll set another dream, and be great at that."

Now Wilson's dream, competing in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, are closer to a reality as he makes his first professional track appearance Saturday at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island.

The New York event will be his last chance to qualify for the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Oregon later this month, according to NJ.com.

Wilson was known for his standing backflips after touchdowns and was a national champion in the triple jump when he ran track in high school and also finished sixth in the event nationally his senior year at Virginia Tech.

Wilson said that his personal best was 53 feet, 1 ¾ inches.

Saturday's grand prix event will include some of the world's best triple jumpers, including American William Claye, who won a silver medal in 2012 with a jump of 57 feet 9  ¾ inches.

NY Giants' David Wilson posts new rabbit head video and lights hand on fire (VIDEO)

In October, David Wilson posted some bizarre videos in which the New York Giants running back donned a rabbit head to walk around New York City and show off Domino's chicken wings.

After post-neck surgery last month when Wilson mooned New York City from the hospital, the rabbit head is back — and freakier than ever. The video below comes from Wilson's entertaining Instagram account and appears to show him dancing to Beyonce and Jay Z's "Drunk in Love" (warning: there's an explicit lyric uttered in the song).

Wilson's account has some other funny videos, but it's one from Feb. 1 that may have Giants doctors taking a look at Wilson from the neck up — a trick in which he lights his fingers on fire:

[nj.com]

Giants' David Wilson moons Manhattan after surgery (PHOTO)

New York Giants running back David Wilson underwent neck surgery on Thursday and seems to be feeling better already. The 2012 first-round pick was sidelined in October by a herniated disk.

Wilson seems to be in a very good spirits the day after his surgery. On Friday he posted a photo — taken by the doctor — of himself on Instagram standing on a table, mooning New York City.

Thank God surgery went well Dr. Surprised when they came in And saw me standing and walkin to bathroom on my own haha #solider #blessed
— David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) January 17, 2014

Hold up!!!! hold my phone (drake voice) while I moon NY traffic from the hospital room 😂😂😂 dr took pic http://t.co/Pu8lTf7jc7
— David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) January 17, 2014

It is unclear when, or even if, Wilson will play again but the Giants are hopeful that he can return in 2014.

“Our medical staff thinks he will be ready to play this year,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said last week on WFAN.

Here's Wilson hanging a moon over Manhattan. From the angle, I'd say the Upper East Side got the best view.

Giants’ David Wilson to undergo neck surgery: Report

New York Giants running back David Wilson’s 2013 season came to an early end because of a neck injury that doctors told him carried an increased risk of further problems if he continued playing. Now his NFL future could be in jeopardy after Giants GM Jerry Reese revealed the former first-round pick will undergo neck surgery next week.

Wilson said during the season that he intends to keep playing, but he’ll need to rehab from surgery before he can do that.

Reese told WFAN Thursday, that Wilson will need to have an operation on his neck this offseason. Team owner John Mara, speaking on the same radio station earlier in the day, also touched on Wilson’s status.

“We’re hopeful that David will be able to play for us again next year. Time will tell on that one,” Mara said.

There was no timetable given for when the surgery will occur or when Wilson might be ready to resume his career. His status is murky at best, though, and that should make running back an area that the Giants address the offseason because an Andre Brown/Michael Cox combination isn’t a particularly appealing one for a team with lots of other holes to fill.

“Our medical staff thinks he will be ready to play this year,’’ general manager Jerry Reese said Thursday on WFAN while noting that dealing with the neck can be “tricky.’’

Here are the details on David Wilson's surgery: He'll have a fusion of the vertebrae to repair the herniated disc in his neck on Jan. 16.
— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoNYDN) January 9, 2014

Wilson played in the first six games of the 2013 season. He started at running back Oct. 6 against the Eagles, rushed six times for 16 yards and scored his first and only touchdown before leaving the game in the second quarter of a 36-21 loss with a neck injury.

He was inactive the next three games and then put on season-ending injured reserve with what the Giants said was a herniated disk in his neck. Wilson, as it turns out, also has spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine, which is a chronic condition he played through at Virginia Tech and in his rookie season with the Giants.

The Giants and Wilson were hoping to avoid surgery, on the chance that rest and treatment alone would reduce the herniated disk. That was always considered a long-shot scenario, and now a surgical procedure has been deemed necessary.

Mara said it is likely the Giants will have to use one of their draft picks on a running back. Reese has said previously the Giants cannot go into the 2014 season projecting Wilson as their No. 1 running back.

Wilson was not very effective even when he was healthy in his second NFL season. Coach Tom Coughlin benched him after Wilson lost two fumbles in a season-opening loss in Dallas. Wilson ended up with 44 rushing attempts and 146 yards.

This doesn't bode well for the Giants at the running back position. Their other key back, Andre Brown, faded down the stretch of the season and is an unrestricted free agent. Brandon Jacobs retired, and veteran addition Peyton Hillis, a free agent, is not expected to return. The only other running back on the roster is Michael Cox, who just completed a lackluster rookie year.

David Wilson calls Giants fans 'irrelevant' on Twitter

New York Giants running back David Wilson should pay more attention to holding the ball, and less on what is grabbing his attention on the Internet.

After the second year back's disastrous season debut, Wilson is worried about those who are criticizing him. And he’s making his frustrations known on Twitter.

“Ayy to fantasy participants and pissed Giants fans ur irrelevant to me!!!” Wilson wrote earlier in the day on Twitter.  “Nobody wants me to succeed more than ME!!!  WATCH US WORK!”

Ayy to fantasy participants and pissed Giants fans ur irrelevant to me!!! Nobody wants me to succeed more than ME!!! WATCH US WORK!
— David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) September 10, 2013

Even Wilson's teammates are telling him to get it together.

Appearing on WFAN-AM in New York on Tuesday, safety Antrel Rolle emphasized that Wilson now has two options: "He can either get in the tank, or he can man up."

Fantasy participants may be irrelevant to Wilson.  Giants fans, though, are paying customers who have mostly been around a lot longer than the fumbling speedster.

On Sunday, Giants fans watched Wilson work.  And they watched him fumble — twice! Now, with fan favorite Brandon Jacobs looking to redeem his legendary status in the Big Blue backfield, Wilson might just be working on getting out of Tom Coughlin's doghouse.

Giants to try out Brandon Jacobs and Willis McGahee

It seems you can go home again. Words former New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs has wanted to hear ever since being released by Big Blue after the 2011 season.

Now — after the Giants starting running back  David Wilson played so badly Sunday night he was benched — the Giants will work out free-agent running backs Jacobs and Willis McGahee on Tuesday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Giants had planned to work out McGahee since Friday, according to the source.

Former New York Jets running back Joe McKnight also will work out for the Giants on Tuesday, sources confirmed to ESPN.

The bruising Jacobs, 31, spent his first seven seasons with the Giants before struggling through an injury-plagued season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. San Francisco waived Jacobs in December after the outspoken veteran was suspended for the final three regular-season games reportedly because he used social media to complain about a lack of playing time.

McGahee, who will turn 32 next month, was released by the Denver Broncos in June following a productive 2012 season that was cut short by a significant knee injury. Despite not participating in Denver's voluntary offseason workouts, McGahee insisted that he had no physical restrictions when he was released.

Jacobs rushed for 56 touchdowns in his seven seasons with the Giants and was a key contributor on New York's two Super Bowl-winning teams under coach Tom Coughlin. 

Giants' Andre Brown suffers 'tiny crack' in leg during loss to Patriots

After the New York Giants' meaningless 28-20 loss to the Patriots Thursday night at Gillette Stadium, one thing did mean something. Andre Brown, one half of Big Blue's 1-2 punch at running back, along with David Wilson, limped off the field just before halftime and was quickly diagnosed with a fractured left leg.

At the time, it seemed as if Tom Coughlin’s questionable decision to play Brown late into the first half had led to disastrous results — depleting an already skimpy Giants backfield.

But Brown said afterward that the fracture was "not that bad of a break, a tiny little crack in it." He added that he won’t need surgery, and he doesn’t even think he’ll need the team’s short-term injured reserve designation. His leg was in a walking boot after the game.

"We still got to do more tests on it. Last time when I broke it we knew immediately what the problem was,"said the essential third-down back. "Nothing wrong with me, nothing I couldn’t deal with before, been here before. They would let me know if it was serious, but it’s not. Definitely spirits are high and positive and I’m looking forward to coming back this season."

Brown knows from experience. He saw his breakout 2012 season come to an end when he fractured his left fibula in a Nov. 25 win over Green Bay. He remembers knowing instantly in that game that he’d suffered a serious injury.

"No, I would love to stay active," Brown said. "That’s how I feel. I feel I can come back from this ... in a couple weeks."

With Brown out, the Giants will look to Da'Rel Scott or Ryan Torain to serve as Wilson's backup. Scott, a seventh-round pick in 2011, spent most of last season on injured reserve with a knee injury. Torain played in two games for the Giants last year after spending three seasons with the Redskins and Broncos.

Coughlin admitted he didn’t have all the details, he did say that Brown would "take a while" to return.

That’s hardly good news for a team that hoped to rely on Brown after releasing workhorse Ahmad Bradshaw after last season.

Ahmad Bradshaw signs with Colts

New York Giants fans still hoping to see Ahmad Bradshaw rumbling down the field at MetLife Stadium with an "NY" logo on his helmet saw that scenario officially end after the running back signed a one-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday.

They'll probably get to see Bradshaw run in the Meadowlands — when the Giants host Indy in an exhibition game August 18 — but the popular player will be wearing the Colts horseshoe on the side of his head bucket.

Bradshaw, though still only 27-years-old, was released by the Giants back in February in what was considered a cost-saving move even after gaining over 1,000 yards in a injury-plagued season. The Giants saved $2.75 million in cap space by cutting the often injured Bradshaw.

Surgeries to repair broken bones in both of his feet have been the bane of Bradshaw's stellar career with the Giants.  He underwent another procedure following the 2012 season.

The one-year deal with the Colts reportedly includes a $250,000 signing bonus, $1.1 million salary plus per-game incentives that could push his total earnings to over $2 million for the 2013 season.

The 2007 seventh-round draft pick rushed 221 times for 1,015 yards in 14 games last season. His history of injuries made him a risky proposition for the Giants. It helped that they had David Wilson, their 2012 first-round draft pick, ready and waiting on the Giants depth chart.

Wilson is expected to be the Giants' No. 1 back this season, with the emerging Andre Brown as their 1-2 punch. 

Bradshaw, meanwhile, will have a chance to compete for playing time in a crowded Colts backfield with Vick Ballard and Donald Brown.

Bradshaw's last game in Indianapolis, Big Blue fans will remember, was Super Bowl XLVI when he famously fell backwards into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in the Giants' upset of the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium.

It's an image that Bradshaw will live forever in Giants lore.

Brandon Jacobs hints at Giants return via Instagram

How much does Brandon Jacobs miss playing for the New York Giants?  Enough for the running back to post a photo of himself as a Giants player bowling over a Patriots player on Instagram with the caption: "Trying to get back in this uniform."

Jacobs — who spent the first seven years of his career with the Giants before being released after the 2011 season and getting picked up by the San Francisco 49ers — is no stranger to making his feelings known via Instagram. Last December, Jacobs was suspended for the final three games by 49ers head coach John Harbaugh for a series of posts criticizing his situation with the team.

“I am on this team rotting away so why would I wanna put any pics up of anything that say niners.” A disgruntled Jacobs said on Instagram on Dec. 9. “This is by far the worst year I ever had, I’ll tell you like I told plenty others.”

Maybe this time Instagram will work in his favor.

Last season, Jacobs appeared in two games (rushing for seven yards on five carries) for the Niners after gaining 4,849 career yards rushing for the Giants.  His best year was in 2008 when he rumbled for 1,089 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Whether or not the Giants even have an interest in the 31-year-old bulldozer remains to be seen.  The G-Men released Ahmad Bradshaw earlier this offseason, leaving only 2012 first-round pick, David Wilson, as the primary running back.  Andre Brown showed some potential and is expected to see increased time as the backup.

Jacobs signed a complicated one-year deal with the 49ers after the Giants felt what he was asking was about $500,000 too rich for their blood.  Even that kid who mailed $3.36 to keep Jacobs in MetLife Stadium couldn't help.

Always a fan favorite with Big Blue fans in the Meadowlands, Jacobs' popularity seemed to taper off as fast as his stats during his last few years with the Giants.

Jacobs tweeted Monday that he's headed to New York this weekend — so who knows?

I am excited to come to NY this weekend.
— Brandon Jacobs (@gatorboyrb) April 8, 2013

Like the Jersey band Bon Jovi says — who says you can't go home.

David Wilson flips out with monster game against Saints

If there is any definition of a career day in the NFL, David Wilson had one Sunday.  The New York Giants running back broke free on kickoff returns of 97, 58 and 52 yards, piled up 100 yards on the ground and crossed the goal line three times during the Giants' 52-27 rout of the New Orleans Saints.

Each score was punctuated with and end zone back flip.

Wilson's 327 all-purpose yards was a franchise record and he became the first player in NFL history with 200 return yards and 100 rushing in the same game.

He started his remarkable day with this 97-yard kickoff return.



Between Victor Cruz's salsa dance and now Wilson's back flips, the Giants fans got to see a lot of of extracurricular activity in the end zone Sunday — and they loved it.  Cheers of "Wilson," like the Tom Hanks character screamed at the volleyball in "Cast Away," filled MetLife Stadium all afternoon.

Wilson— the first-round draft pick who has been doing back flips since he was a 4-year-old— set a single-season record with 1,301 return yards and had the Giants' longest kickoff return in 48 years.

Not bad for the rookie who was in head coach Tom Coughlin's doghouse just a couple of weeks ago.