Garrett Wilson has come before his Jets teammates, Jets reporters and Jets Nation in different incarnations in his first four seasons in the NFL: as a first-round draft choice, as the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, as a two-time 80-catch, 1,000-yard receiver, as a three-time 80/1,000 dude.
But Thursday he got to address everyone for the first time as a Jets captain.
"I've had some accolades since I've gotten in the league," Wilson said Thursday afternoon in his first public remarks since being voted one of the six captains on first-year HC Aaron Glenn's Green & White. "But his is the one I'll probably tell my kids about first.
"I'm not the most outspoken guy, maybe not the blueprint of a leader. But to know the guys still appreciate the way I go about things, they respond to what I do say, it means the world. Man, I just want to go out and play good ball to make sure they feel good about what they did. It's an exciting season for me."
Wilson and his mates completed Thursday's walkthrough to get one day closer to Sunday's season opener against the Steelers with heavy hearts, having learned that another of the three offensive captains, guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, has been lost for the year due to a triceps tear.
"It's something you hate to see. Knowing he's not going to be out there this season just breaks my heart," the man known as G said about the man known as AVT. "We're going to be ready to react, make moves accordingly. But it defnitely hurts."
Yet the NFL does seem to level out over time. As down as the Jets may be, Wilson and his skill-position partners finally are about to see their new offense being directed by Wilson's former Ohio State QB, Justin Fields.
"It's awesome, man, just to see that look on his face, one I've recognized before," Wilson said of the all-business fifth-year QB running the unit. "Obviously there was a little hiatus there, but since college, when he's locked in, he's locked in. You can feel it, the way he addresses the team — I remember this from Ohio State. It's exciting.
"You come into the league and you don't think you're ever going to get to play with your college teammates again, let alone the guy who was throwing you the ball. So for this to happen, it's a blessing."
And the natural excitement of opening day is augmented by Wilson being "reunited" on the same MetLife Stadium field in a slightly different manner than he was last year with his then-QB, Aaron Rodgers. "I got the opportunity to play with a living legend in this game," he said of A-Rod, now Pittsburgh's signal-caller. "For me, every day, I got to learn something."
Wilson has a number of receiving streaks waiting to be extended — all 51 games of his pro career with at least one catch, the last 45 with at least two catches, the last 17 with at least three, and getting started on trying to become only the fourth receiver in NFL history to reach 80/1,000 in his first four seasons as a pro. But more important is how he and his offense attack the Pittsburgh defense, which has been fortified with talented new additions on their corners,
Darius Slay, entering his 13th season, has made six Pro Bowls in his last eight seasons. Jalen Ramsey, slightly less senior than Slay as he enters his 10th season, has earned all-star recognition in seven of his first nine seasons as well as All-Pro honors three times. Also at Steelers CB: Joey Porter Jr., who has no PBs yet but the bloodlines to get a berth or two in former Steelers and Dolphins Pro Bowl LB Joey Porter, and former Jets contributor Brandin Echols.
Wilson believes he and the Jets are ready for all the challenges awaiting them on Sunday.
"We put some small sample sizes out there for the world to see, some really good practices," he said of the summer work that has come to an end. "We were competitive as hell this offseason, but we don't have to turn it up a notch now because we've been at this."
"Besides, we've got Game 1, Week 1, a big game to start another season," Wilson said before hearkening back to his peewee days and seeing his uni lying on his bed, waiting for him to breathe life and skill into it. "I feel like I did when I was 7 years old, which is a good thing. You're excited, you're going to lay your clothes out. I'm pumped. I'm just excited. We've got a great, formidable opponent ahead. What else can you ask for?"
