Undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson has found a new home in NFL and will be going back to wearing the number 31 just like he did at his HBCU, Fort Valley State. The Charlotte, NC running back has signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers and will enter training camp on the 90-man roster.
Emanuel Wilson stands at 5-10 and weighs 226 pounds. He recently spent time with the Denver Broncos in May attending its mini-camp; following his participation in the HBCU Legacy Bowl and the NFLPA Bowl.
Like many other players, Wilson didn’t get the chance to hear his name called during the 2023 NFL Draft. But after numerous calls for other teams, Wilson understood that his dreams weren’t over yet.
“Going there just made me realize that I’m not going to be able to be the star right now. Going into minicamp and everything like that. I’m really just…a freshman. Coming in, I’m going to have to work my butt off to actually get on special teams,” said in an interview with HBCU Gameday.
The newly minted Green Bay Packers running back ignited his college career at Johnson C. Smith University before transferring to Fort Valley State in 2020. For his two seasons, Wilson was named a second-team Division II All-American by the American Football Coaches Association along with SIAC Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
At the end of the 2022 season, the North Carolina native banked 1,371 yards on 209 carries; averaging 6.6 yards per rush and scoring 17 rushing touchdowns. He became the Wildcats’ first 1,000-yard rusher in 18 seasons, ranking him among the top 10 in multiple NCAA Division II categories: sixth in all-purpose yards, seventh in rushing yards per game, seventh in total rushing yards, and ninth in total rushing touchdowns.
