<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Russell Wilson will try to accomplish what Tom Brady did at age 26

          • Jeff Legwold, ESPN Senior WriterJan 28, 2015, 05:00 PM ET
            Close
              Jeff Legwold is a senior writer who covers the Denver Broncos and the NFL at ESPN. Jeff has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, joining ESPN in 2013. He also assists with NFL draft coverage, including his annual top 100 prospects. Jeff has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999. He has attended every scouting combine since 1987.
            Follow on X

          PHOENIX – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson just turned 26 years old in November and will play in his second Super Bowl on Sunday with a chance to win his second.

          In Sunday’s game, Wilson's counterpart is a player who has already walked that path in Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Brady was 26 when he played in and won his second Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXXVIII), then won his third when he was 27 (Super Bowl XXXIX).

          On Sunday, Brady, now 37, will start in his sixth Super Bowl, breaking an NFL record for players at any position.

          On Wednesday, Wilson was asked if he can see himself in Brady’s shoes someday, a player in his 15th season still playing in Super Bowls.

          “I definitely can,” Wilson said. “For me, I visualize success every day. I never visualize failure and I visualize being at the top every time. That’s just my mindset. I never waver from that and I think that’s a credit to my parents and, really, how they raised me. They used to teach me the discipline of getting up early in the morning, the discipline of doing things the right way, the discipline of loving the people that you have around you … It’s about surrendering to a bigger cause and focusing on what you really want to focus on, but also surrounding yourself around great people.”

          Brady won in his first three title game appearances, including back-to-back victories to close out the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

          The Patriots have lost their last two Super Bowl trips – Super Bowl XLII to close the 2007 season and Super Bowl XLVI to close the 2011 season. Brady was asked Wednesday to reflect on his first trip to the title game in his second season in the league, his first as a starter.

          “That happened so fast in my life,” Brady said. “I didn’t quite understand what was going on in that time. I was just a young guy and then there was only one week from the time we won the AFC Championship Game to the Super Bowl. You’ve got to appreciate the opportunity we have and whatever we’ve got to this point. It’s hard to do. You know, all the guys, Coach [Bill Belichick] does a great job of preparing the whole team and getting those guys focused, whether it’s young guys or veteran guys, to try and just brace for what happens and accept the challenge, and then go out there and try to meet the challenge.”