For Kyle Wilson, it's time to get down to business.
The first-round rookie cornerback, who officially signed his contract with the Jets on Saturday night and tweeted his excitement soon after, stepped off the team bus and onto the SUNY Cortland campus Sunday, focused and ready to go. The Piscataway, N.J., native is looking forward to embarking on his first-ever NFL training camp playing for the Green & White this morning.
"I'm definitely excited that the deal is done, and that I can fully focus on practicing with my teammates," Wilson said. "It's been a long time coming, and it's time to go to work."
Wilson's elation upon signing his new deal Saturday night didn't distract him from the immediate work he had to accomplish — all the signed rookies passed their conditioning tests last week, but he had to pass his test Sunday morning before getting on the bus for Cortland.
"I was training on my own anyway," he said. "I made sure I definitely was in shape. I ckind of had a feeling it was going to get done right around this time."
Wilson will be looking to show off his versatile talents the next few weeks at camp and in the preseason games. Not only has he been proficient at his primary corner position in college, but also can excel in the special teams as a punt returner. The second-team All-American had 11 interceptions and contributed three punt-return touchdowns in his four-year Boise State career.
He doesn't feel that the pressure of NFL Films and HBO filming their "Hard Knocks" television series added to the coverage from the New York area media should detract from his camp concentration.
"I just want to get in here and get a better understanding of the defense, and leave camp better than I came in before." said Wilson, whom the Jets drafted at 29th overall, about walking onto the field this week with the defense that was the best in the NFL last year.
The rookie is incredibly pumped up that he is now teamed with such an elite secondary, containing two Pro Bowl corners in Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, the offseason acquisition from San Diego. He can't wait to get on the field, get further acquainted with his defensive brethren and become an even stronger force on the field this year, which is bound to give wide receivers from around the league headaches.
"It's going to be great being up here and learning with them," he said. "I'm looking forward to picking their brains and trying to take any knowledge from their experiences."
The main focus for a hungry rookie like Wilson seems to be to impress his coaches and teammates at camp and sometime down the road to earn a starting spot on the Jets. Asked if he brought along any diversions for his downtime at camp, he replied, "No videogames. Just my playbook and a pillow."
