Brandon Wilson (born July 27, 1994) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
for the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
.
College career
Wilson played on both sides of the ball at
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, at cornerback behind
William Jackson III
William Jackson III (born October 27, 1992) is an American football cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Houston Cougars and was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in ...
and also at running back. He also played on special teams as a kick returner.
Wilson's junior season in 2015 included multiple touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. Brandon Wilson's college career was highlighted by his famous 110 yard touchdown return after a missed FG attempt by Oklahoma on September 3, 2016. Officially, the return went for 100 yards, even though Wilson fielded the 53-yard missed field goal in the back of his own end zone. The Houston Cougars went on to upset the #5 ranked Oklahoma Sooners in the week one upset.
Professional career
Cincinnati Bengals
Wilson was drafted by the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
in the sixth round, 207th overall, in the
2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
. He was one of three Houston Cougars to be selected that year. He was only the fourth player ever selected by the Bengals organization after a trade up in the draft.
The team elected to play Wilson at safety rather than the cornerback position he played in college.
Wilson injured his knee during rookie minicamp, and was placed on the non-football injury list in late July. Wilson was waived on September 2, 2017 and was signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on November 11, 2017.
On October 13, 2019, in a Week 6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Wilson returned a kickoff ninety-two yards for his first career touchdown. He also added four tackles and a forced fumble in the game. He was placed on injured reserve on December 6, 2019 with a hand injury.
Wilson re-signed on a one-year contract with the Bengals on April 26, 2020. On November 29, 2020, Wilson returned a kickoff by the New York Giants for a 103-yard touchdown. It was the longest touchdown return in franchise history.
Wilson signed a two-year contract extension with the Bengals on March 16, 2021.
On November 9, 2021, Wilson was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn ACL in Week 9.
On August 23, 2022, Wilson was placed on the reserve/
physically unable to perform
Physically unable to perform (PUP) is a roster designation used in the National Football League (NFL) for players who suffered injuries during football-related activities prior to the start of training camp. Players on the PUP list may participate ...
list.
Indianapolis Colts
On November 22, 2023, Wilson was signed to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
practice squad.
References
External links
Cincinnati Bengals bio
1994 births
Living people
American football cornerbacks
American football running backs
American football return specialists
Houston Cougars football players
Cincinnati Bengals players
Players of American football from Shreveport, Louisiana
Indianapolis Colts players
{{defensiveback-1990s-stub