QB Wilson to visit Rangers' camp

ByRICHARD DURRETT
February 20, 2014, 5:32 PM

— -- SURPRISE, Ariz. -- A Super Bowl-winning quarterback is going to spring training.

The Seattle Seahawks'  Russell Wilson announced via Twitter on Thursday that he will be at the  Texas Rangers' facility on March 3.

Wilson tweeted a photo of himself holding a No. 3 Rangers jersey:

Hey @Rangers fans... See you at "Surprise" Arizona on March 3! #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/ZiaEmtL0nW

- Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 20, 2014

It's unclear whether Wilson will participate in drills or just talk with some players. Rangers officials said they will be in touch with Mark Rodgers, Wilson's agent, in the next few days to figure out a schedule, but it is unlikely Wilson will be in Arizona long.

"We are very pleased that Russell will be able to spend some time at our spring training camp," said Rangers GM Jon Daniels in a statement. "Due to his other commitments, I expect his visit will be brief but he should be able to interact with our players on both the major and minor league sides. We are finalizing his exact schedule for March 3."

The Rangers selected Wilson in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft in December, and he said at the time that he was interested in going to spring training. Rodgers said a few weeks ago that the quarterback hadn't decided what he was going to do after the Super Bowl victory. But Wilson's tweet means he'll at least visit the Rangers.

Texas paid $12,000 to pluck Wilson from the Colorado Rockies organization with the hopes that some of its young players could relate to him and see what it takes to be a successful pro athlete.

"Everything you see and read about him and seeing him play on Sundays, you hear about the work ethic, the person," Rangers assistant general manager A.J. Preller said in December. "I think that's going to be a positive message for all of our players in our system, our coaches, everybody to have somebody like that around.

"At the end of the day, if he decides it's not something he wants to come back and do full time, just having him around, having him talk to a group, I think there's definitely positives in all that."

Wilson was drafted in the fourth round by the Rockies and hit .229 with five homers, 19 stolen bases and 118 strikeouts as a Class A second baseman in 2010 and 2011. That was before Seattle took him in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and he opted for football.

He threw for 206 yards and was 18-of-25 passing with two touchdowns in the Seahawks' 43-8 blistering of the  Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. 

Hey @Rangers fans... See you at \"Surprise\" Arizona on March 3! #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/ZiaEmtL0nW

- Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) February 20, 2014

It's unclear whether Wilson will participate in drills or just talk with some players. Rangers officials said they will be in touch with Mark Rodgers, Wilson's agent, in the next few days to figure out a schedule, but it is unlikely Wilson will be in Arizona long.

\"We are very pleased that Russell will be able to spend some time at our spring training camp,\" said Rangers GM Jon Daniels in a statement. \"Due to his other commitments, I expect his visit will be brief but he should be able to interact with our players on both the major and minor league sides. We are finalizing his exact schedule for March 3.\"

The Rangers selected Wilson in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft in December, and he said at the time that he was interested in going to spring training. Rodgers said a few weeks ago that the quarterback hadn't decided what he was going to do after the Super Bowl victory. But Wilson's tweet means he'll at least visit the Rangers.

Texas paid $12,000 to pluck Wilson from the Colorado Rockies organization with the hopes that some of its young players could relate to him and see what it takes to be a successful pro athlete.

\"Everything you see and read about him and seeing him play on Sundays, you hear about the work ethic, the person,\" Rangers assistant general manager A.J. Preller said in December. \"I think that's going to be a positive message for all of our players in our system, our coaches, everybody to have somebody like that around.

\"At the end of the day, if he decides it's not something he wants to come back and do full time, just having him around, having him talk to a group, I think there's definitely positives in all that.\"

Wilson was drafted in the fourth round by the Rockies and hit .229 with five homers, 19 stolen bases and 118 strikeouts as a Class A second baseman in 2010 and 2011. That was before Seattle took him in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft and he opted for football.

He threw for 206 yards and was 18-of-25 passing with two touchdowns in the Seahawks' 43-8 blistering of the  Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. 

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