How Freddie Roach Put Russell Wilson’s NFL Career Back on Track
The benefits of boxing are not lost on Russell Wilson.
These days, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback finds a second home in the ring during the NFL offseason as part of his strength and conditioning program.
It wasn’t always that way. An injury-plagued season and an all-star trainer are responsible for leading the 2014 Super Bowl champ to the boxing gym.
Why Boxing?
Wilson was a boxing fan and sporadic sparrer whilst growing up in Richmond, Virginia.
After a sprained left knee and chest injury limited Wilson’s mobility during the 2016 season, the seven-time Pro Bowler sought creative ways to rehab. The search brought Wilson to famed boxing trainer Freddie Roach and his Wild Card gym in Hollywood, California.
The pair initially worked on improving Wilson’s footwork. Wilson is regarded as among the NFL’s best pocket scramblers and from-scrimmage runners. Losing some of that signature agility had been a severe blow to his game in 2016.
With Roach’s help, Wilson quickly regained his balance while developing quickness and power in his legs. The workouts eventually led to full-body conditioning, which Wilson cited as one of the hardest workouts he’s ever done.
Wilson’s training matters to the Seahawks. The quarterback is the driving force behind Seattle’s outstanding odds in the NFC West this season.
It’s been that way throughout Wilson’s eight-year term in the Emerald City. Former teammate and Pro-Bowl receiver Doug Baldwin once told ESPN, “When Russell Wilson goes, our whole team goes.”
Boxing has helped Wilson evolve his mental approach to football. He notes that boxers prepare to do anything and everything at any moment. Quarterbacks face a similar scenario when the ball is snapped.
Training With a Legend
Roach is no stranger to boxing fans and some of the sport’s biggest names. He’s a former pro fighter who trained under Eddie Futch. Futch had previously worked with Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, and Trevor Berbick – four of the five boxers to defeat Muhammad Ali.
Roach posted a 40-13-0 career record with 15 KOs before he was forced to step away from the ring at 26 due to early signs of Parkinson’s disease. Roach joined Futch as an assistant in 1986 after working odd jobs in Las Vegas for several years.
Roach took over the boxing equipment of actor Mickey Rourke, a one-time client, in 1995. The transaction led to the founding of Wild Card and an enormous opportunity for Roach. He became a training icon over the next 20 years, working with the likes of Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, and Virgil Hill.
Roach was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012 as a trainer.