NFL Free Agency continues to be kind to former HBCU athletes, with a former SIAC Player of the Year signing a deal with the defending Super Bowl champions.
Emanuel Wilson, by way of Johnson C. Smith and Fort Valley State, is signing a one-year deal worth up to $2.1 million to join the Seattle Seahawks.
He comes to the Seahawks after spending the past three seasons as a member of the Green Bay Packers, serving as the team’s primary backup running back.
Playing sparingly as a rookie, Wilson solidified himself in the Packers’ running back rotation in the two years that followed, combining for 998 rushing yards on 228 carries and seven rushing touchdowns, playing all 17 games each year.
In his first career start this past season against the Minnesota Vikings, he notched his first 100-yard game, finishing with 107 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
From HBCU to NFL contributor
Wilson’s collegiate journey began at Johnson C. Smith in 2019, being named the CIAA Offensive Rookie of the Year after finishing second in the conference with 1,040 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns.
He then transferred to Fort Valley State, where he played two seasons, being named to the All-SIAC team each year.
This included a 2022 season in which he was named SIAC Player of the Year, leading the conference with 1,252 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Rather than playing out his final year of eligibility, Wilson opted to bet on himself and enter the NFL Draft.
The gamble paid off for the Charlotte native as he parlayed a strong week at the HBCU Legacy Bowl to an undrafted free agent deal with the Denver Broncos.
Shortly after being cut by the Broncos, he signed with the Green Bay Packers, making the 53-man roster after leading that year’s preseason in rushing.
Wilson is joining a Seattle Seahawks team that finished with a 14-3 record last year, setting a franchise record for wins in a season.
They then captured their second championship in franchise history, taking down the New England Patriots 29-13 in Super Bowl LX.
With last year’s starting running back and Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, and backup Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL, Wilson will get a strong opportunity to start the 2026 season as the Seahawks’ number-one running back.
