David Wilson is still running.
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At a young age, the former Giants running back and 2012 first-round draft choice had a dream to play in the NFL. And he did that. He broke tackles. He scored touchdowns. He did backflips. He set records.
However, after just two seasons, Wilson was advised last summer to give up playing football due to a spine and neck condition, forcing No. 22 to retire shortly after his 22nd birthday.
But that wouldn't be the last we hear from Wilson.
"When life knocks you down, I always say plan to land on your back because if you can look up, you can get up," Wilson said during an emotional announcement on Aug. 6, 2014 at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
"But if you're flat on your face, that can kill your spirit. Always think of it in that aspect – if you can look up, you can get up. So far, I can look up and I plan on getting up and living my dream and setting another one for me to live out."
True to his word, Wilson is doing just that.
The Virginia native, whose legend at Virginia Tech included chasing down a rabbit on campus and catching it with his bare hands, set his sights on another passion: track and field.
Check out the top photos of RB David Wilson
After months of training, he is set to make his pro track debut this Saturday at the adidas Grand Prix at Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island in New York.
The former Hokie will be competing in the triple jump, his primary event in college and high school as he split time between football and track.
In 2010, Wilson placed sixth in the event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships after finishing first at the Nike Indoor Nationals as an athlete at George Washington High School in Danville, Va.
"As you continue to reach more goals, the pressure builds up and when the pressure builds up, the intensity increases," Wilson said. "It gives you a thrive and a drive to keep going. You can do great things when you get that."
