FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson took a serious look at the NFL after the 2011 season ended last week.
So serious, in fact, that Don Wilson said Friday night he began to believe his son was ready to begin his pro football career.
“Oh yeah,” Don Wilson said. “There were several moments when I thought that was going to happen to be quite honest.”
In the end, the Cotton Bowl’s most valuable offensive player decided to return to Arkansas for his senior season. And, as a result, Arkansas’ expectations for 2012 are growing as the offseason begins.
Wilson announced his intentions to remain with the Razorbacks with a statement on Friday morning and, a little later, spoke about it during a television interview with ESPN. He said the decision was a difficult one because of a favorable feedback from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but added his goal is to lead Arkansas to a championship in 2012.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“It was much more of a decision than I ever really thought about throughout the year,” Wilson said during a television interview with ESPN. “I really felt I was coming back. Then after the bowl game some scenarios played out where I thought I’d have an opportunity to go higher in this year’s draft than originally thought. But after kind of thinking about it and discussing it with friends and family, I decided it was important for me to come back and get my education and, also, I think there’s a lot of things to accomplish team-wise.”
A championship chase appears much more realistic with Wilson still on campus. He succeeded in replacing Ryan Mallett under center in 2011, throwing for 3,638 yards with 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions while leading the Razorbacks to an 11-2 finish and a No. 5 ranking.
Wilson gained plenty of respect from coaches, teammates and college football pundits for his toughness, hanging in the pocket to deliver passes behind and offensive line that struggled early in the season.