Former New York Giants running back David Wilson may have retired from the game of football, but that doesn’t mean his participation in organized sports is over.
Wilson was forced to retire in August due to a serious neck injury, which he suffered in a game last October.
Most 23-year-olds live with their parents and are building their careers, but Wilson is back-flipping into the next chapter of his life — he plans to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as a triple jumper.
“I’ve been thinking about it and I think it’s something that I can really excel in,” Wilson told amNewYork.
Wilson began training for the Olympics just four days after announcing his retirement from the National Football League.
“I’ve always been involved in some level of sport or practice,” he said.
Wilson’s participation in the 2016 Olympics is not a pipe dream — he has the credentials.
While a student athlete at Virginia Tech, Wilson’s career best in the triple jump was a 16.20m performance, which placed him sixth at the 2011 NCAA Championships and would have placed him 10th in the final heat of the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012.
“Triple jumpers are like real lean,” Wilson said. “I’m not going to get too lean though. I’m going to go out there and compete.”
