After an in-depth review of extensive and historical sports data and accomplishments, both on and off the field, the National Black Players Coalition (NBPC) selects — by the numbers — future Hall-of-Famer and NC State alumni Russell Wilson as Quarterback of the Century. In its report, the NBPC will detail Wilson’s all-around, century-wide, pioneering milestones relative to his historic, individual achievements in the NFL, with more cumulative record-breaking wins than perhaps any quarterback in the NFL’s 106-year history.
Wilson is still making history entering his 14th season as the first Black quarterback to be named the season starter for the NY Giants in the team’s 100-year history (1925-2025). His success has continuously led to opening doors for others, especially for Black quarterbacks.
Off the field, through his Why Not You Foundation focusing on education, children’s health and fighting poverty and through his football camps, Wilson and his wife Ciara donated $1million to 10 local nonprofits in the Denver area, donated $1 million to Feeding America during Covid-19 and partnered with various nonprofits to raise millions of dollars for collaborative programming.
In 2020, he was the recipient of the coveted Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Wilson also received the prestigious Bart Starr Award in 2022. Serving on the Board of Directors of the V Foundation for Cancer Research, Wilson and Ciara were presenters at the 2025 ESPY Awards where he presented the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and Ciara presented the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award.
Russell Wilson’s unmatched combined career achievements has him as the stand-alone quarterback of all time in this prestigious category. It will take a dual-threat quarterback at least 10 years if rushing at an average of 500 yards per year to match his 5,000+ rushing yards and take a decade if passing at an average of 4,000 yards per year to match his 40,000+ passing yards.
At just 5′11″ Russell Wilson is included among the top in most of the NFL’s historic statistical records, defeating taller quarterbacks — embodying a David vs. Goliath story. To quote Miami Dolphins’ DB, Xavien Howard about Russell, “That man did a lot for this game!”
Russell Wilson was drafted in 2012 by the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks as 75th overall in the 3rd round. It was stated at that time by NFL front office executives that had he been 3″ taller, given his stellar college career, that Russell Wilson would surely have been drafted by the NFL in the first round.
Since then, Russell Wilson has carried on the mantle of dual-threat Black quarterbacks in NFL history who were denied a long term career in the NFL as starting quarterbacks, including: “The Human Torpedo” Fritz Pollard (5′ 9″); “Mitts” Willie Thrower (5′11″); “The Jackie Robinson of Football” George Taliaferro (5′11″); “Major” Bernie Custis at (6′0″); Sandy Stephens (6′0″); and “The Magician” Marlin Briscoe (5′11″). Today, these mostly dual-threat Black quarterbacks would likely be drafted in the first or second rounds.
Russell Wilson also carries the torch for the 100+ Black quarterbacks who were forced to migrate to Canada’s CFL or were denied their dream of playing quarterback in the NFL altogether, depriving them of lucrative economic benefits for their families and their generations to come.
In his collegiate career, Russell Wilson held the NCAA records for most consecutive passes without an interception (379) and the highest passing efficiency rating in a single season (191.8). Though being the 6th quarterback drafted in his NFL class of 9 in 2012, Wilson finished number one in his class and was both Rookie of the Year and the leading quarterback on the All-Rookie Team.
As an NFL quarterback in 2014, Russell Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to their first and only back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (XLVIII/XLIX) in his first three seasons. Wilson was the first and only starting NFL Black quarterback to be celebrated and hosted at the White House by the first and only Black President of the United States, Barack Obama, along with his teammates and Seahawks organization for their Super Bowl (XLVIII) championship victory.
Russell Wilson’s 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 10th season winning records, along with being the fastest quarterback to reach their first 100 wins in over a century of the NFL is second to none. He is the only quarterback in NFL history with 9 consecutive winning seasons and he holds the NFL record for the most wins by a quarterback through their first 9 seasons with 98 total.
These cumulative, combined achievements are greater than all 26 current Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks and greater than all NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time 10 greatest quarterbacks. Russell Wilson is also a 10x Pro Bowler, the second Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl and the first Black quarterback to start in two back-to-back Super Bowls.
In the end, it isn’t always about how many Super Bowls you win or how many MVP votes you receive — it’s more about how you make a difference in the lives of others through your success. How you were able to represent the NFL if given a chance and represent those who came before you and setting an example for those who will follow you is what really matters.