Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson will be making acquaintance with a couple of old friends before, during and after Sunday’s game at the Washington Commanders.
Washington head coach Dan Quinn was on the defensive staff of the Seattle Seahawks for Wilson’s first three seasons in the NFL and with that team. The second of those three seasons — 2013 — the Seahawks won the Super Bowl.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner joined Seattle one round earlier than Wilson as part of the 2012 draft class. He became a perennial All-Pro and was also part of that Super Bowl XLVIII team.
“Bobby and I used to race to get to the facility and see who was the first one there,” Wilson said after practice Thursday, recalling the early days of his career.
“We realized that Coach Dan Quinn was sometimes getting there before us, a couple minutes before us.”
Quinn, Wagner and Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. will match wits with Wilson and the Steelers offense Sunday.
In large part because of his association with the Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defenses of the 2010s, Quinn is recognized as one of the better defensive coaching minds in the game. Wagner is a sure future Hall of Famer.
Each joined the Commanders this year.
“We’ve had some amazing years together,” Wilson said, speaking specifically on Quinn. “He’s an unbelievable coach. He’s one of my favorite people I’ve ever been around in terms of just how he coaches.”
Quinn was on the staff at William & Mary during Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s final playing season in 1994. The next season, each was on the same staff at VMI.
“Coach Quinn, he’s a guy who coaches the details of the game,” Wilson said. “He’s a teacher — an unbelievable teacher. He’s a man of faith and just a great, great communicator. Not to mention why they’ve done so well. He’s a culture builder.”
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at [email protected].
