Stanley Wilson Jr.

American football player (1982–2023)

American football player

Stanley Wilson

No. 33, 31
Position:| Cornerback
Personal information
Born:| (1982-11-05)November 5, 1982
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died:| February 1, 2023(2023-02-01) (aged 40)
Norwalk, California, U.S.
Height:| 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:| 189 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High school:| Bishop Montgomery (Torrance, California)
College:| Stanford
NFL draft:| 2005: 3rd round, 72nd pick
Career history

* Detroit Lions (2005–2008)

Career NFL statistics
| Total tackles:| 89

|

Forced fumbles:| 1
Pass deflections:| 8
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Stanley Tobias Wilson Jr.[1] (November 5, 1982 – February 1, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal and was selected by the Lions in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft.

## Early life

[edit]

The son of former Cincinnati Bengals running back Stanley Wilson Sr.,[2] Stanley Jr. grew up in Carson, California, with his grandparents and attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance.[3][4]

## College career

[edit]

Recruited by Tyrone Willingham, Wilson enrolled at Stanford University in 2000. After redshirting his true freshman season, Wilson played four seasons on the Stanford Cardinal football team from 2001 to 2004, the last three under coach Walt Harris.[4] Wilson became a regular starter as a sophomore in 2002, with 32 tackles (27 solo) and two interceptions. In 2003, Wilson had 27 tackles, six passes defended, and one interception. As a senior in 2004, Wilson recorded career highs with 54 tackles (41 solo and 2.5 for loss) and five passes defended, in addition to one interception returned for 51 yards, and earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 honors.[5]

## Professional career

[edit]

Pre-draft measurables  Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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5 ft 11+3⁄4 in
(1.82 m)  | 185 lb
(84 kg)  | 30+1⁄4 in
(0.77 m)  | 9 in
(0.23 m) | 4.39 s | 1.55 s | 2.58 s | 39.5 in
(1.00 m) | 10 ft 3 in
(3.12 m) | 14 reps
All values from NFL Combine[6][7]

In the 2005 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions picked Wilson in the third round (72nd overall).[8] Wilson's NFL career lasted from 2005 to 2007, all with the Lions. In 32 games (nine starts) in the NFL, Wilson had 86 tackles (63 solo), eight passes deflected, and one forced fumble.[9] On November 28, 2007, Wilson was placed on injured reserve due to a knee injury.[5]

The Lions re-signed Wilson to a one-year deal on April 11, 2008.[10] However, Wilson tore his Achilles tendon during an exhibition game against the New York Giants on August 7, an injury later revealed to be career-ending.[11]

## Personal life

[edit]

### Legal issues

[edit]

After his playing career concluded, Wilson started to show signs of Biopolar disorder, which manifested in manic episodes such as stripping naked in public; Wilson later told his mother about being molested as a child by a babysitter. Wilson had an episode in 2014 that saw a couple help him into a New York City hotel room and call his mother. On June 22, 2016, Wilson was shot by an elderly homeowner in Portland, Oregon, after Wilson attempted to break into the man's home while naked. He was hospitalized but recovered from his injuries and was charged with attempted burglary.[12] In November 2016, Wilson tested positive for methamphetamines.[13] He was arrested again in Portland on January 10, 2017, while again nude; the arresting officer noted he appeared to be on drugs when he was caught roaming naked around another neighborhood.[14]

On February 13, 2017, Wilson was sentenced to 10 days in jail with three years of probation for the June incident where he was shot; the judge also ordered him to undergo drug treatment, pay restitution for damages caused to homes, and write apology letters.[13] On February 18, 2017, Wilson was arrested naked a third time allegedly attempting to burglarize a home.[15]

### Death

[edit]

In the last five months of his life, Wilson had been in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles after he had broken in a home in Hollywood Hills during a psychotic break. On February 1, 2023, he was transported by sheriff's deputies to Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk for psychiatric treatment. He died at the hospital that day. He was 40.[16] Two separate autopsies stated that he died of a pulmonary thromboembolism, but accounts of whether he died at the facility or the hospital differed. These inconsistencies led the Wilson family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Sheriff's Department, the Department of State Hospitals and L.A. County in September 2023.[17]

He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[18][19]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hersom, Bob (November 11, 1982). "Sooner fullback still has flashbacks of life as halfback". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
2. ^ Gosselin, Rick (April 6, 2005). "Stanley Wilson the son is ready to rise". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on September 24, 2008.
3. ^ Witz, Billy (March 19, 1999). "The busted play of Stanley Wilson". Long Beach Press-Telegram. p. A1. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
4. ^ a b "Stanley Wilson". Stanford Athletics. Archived from the original on April 4, 2005. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
5. ^ a b "Stanley Wilson". Detroit Lions. Archived from the original on February 21, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
6. ^ "Stanley Wilson, Combine Results, CB - Stanford". nflcombineresults.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
7. ^ "Stanley Wilson 2005 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
8. ^ "2005 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
9. ^ "Stanley Wilson". NFL. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
10. ^ "Lions Re-Sign Restricted Free Agent CB Stanley Wilson and Free Agent P/K Paul Ernster". Detroit Lions. April 11, 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2009. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
11. ^ "Lions CB Wilson tears Achilles tendon, will miss rest of season". NFL.com. Associated Press. August 9, 2008. Archived from the original on March 12, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
12. ^ "Naked intruder shot by homeowner turns out to be ex-NFL player, police say". OregonLive.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
13. ^ a b Green, Aimee (February 14, 2017). "Ex-NFL player Stanley Wilson II gets 10 days in jail for naked attempted burglary". OregonLive.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
14. ^ Bailey, Jr., Everton (January 17, 2017). "Naked ex-NFL player shot during alleged burglary arrested after another nude run-in with cops". OregonLive.com. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
15. ^ Marum, Anna (February 19, 2017). "Ex-NFL player arrested in Woodburn after 3rd alleged naked run-in with police". OregonLive.com. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
16. ^ "Ex-NFL DB Stanley Wilson Jr. Dead At 40... After Collapsing At Mental Hospital". TMZ. February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
17. ^ "An ex-NFL player died in custody. His grieving family demands to know what happened". Los Angeles Times. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
18. ^ "The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)". Concussion Legacy Foundation. Archived from the original on July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
19. ^ Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023). "Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease". The New York Times. Retrieved July 2, 2023.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stanley Wilson.

* Detroit Lions bio
* Stanford Cardinal bio

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