Robert Wilson

Today, Robert Wilson, a former NFL fullback, doesn’t regret any career decision he ever made; however, he now fully realizes the importance of setting oneself up for a life outside of football. Born in Germany on the Ramstein Army Base, Robert Wilson proudly describes himself as a former “military brat”—quick to make friends and to adapt to his surroundings.

Wilson grew up going back and forth between his father’s army base in Germany and his extended family’s home in Houston, with his first exposure to American football coming from the one German television channel that aired the game.

Shortly after Wilson and his family moved back to Houston full-time, and prior to entering middle school, tragedy struck. His mother and two of his siblings passed in a devastating car accident. “I could not believe it,” Wilson recalled, “I had no experience with death and the pain it causes to those left behind.” Such a defining moment has forever stayed with him. He has spent his life thinking of what he can do to make them proud.

Wilson decided to devote himself to his calling—football. “My experience was that everything always changed when the ‘pads’ came on,” Wilson remembered. At Worthing High School—one of the best high schools in the country for football— he gained the skills and accolades that led him to play as a fullback at Texas A&M.  

In 1991, his third year of college, Wilson was drafted in the third round by the Buccaneers and later played professionally for three years, with a playing career that spanned the Buccaneers, the Cowboys, and the Dolphins. Reflecting on his career, one of his proudest achievements was catching one of Dan Marino’s legendary touchdown throws.       

It took Wilson’s transition away from the NFL—the only career he had ever known—to really appreciate how hard retirement can be. He focused on what he could do to bridge the gap between his NFL retirement and his eventual non-football career “re-retirement.”

When speaking with his own sons, he emphasizes the importance of getting a degree and utilizing one’s time in college to realize future careers. He wishes he had spent more time fostering his skills in marketing and advertising—two of his passions—because he would have found the transition away from the game easier.

Knowing how difficult parts of his own transition were, Wilson decided to write Big Hits and Politics: Why the Best Players Never Play about his experience playing and his time after.    

Despite facing challenges while playing, Wilson learned from hurdles and now sees that they were valuable opportunities to grow.

When it comes to former players taking care of themselves, Wilson sees The Trust as an important avenue for former players to realize and develop their professional aspirations. He wants to remind former players that their potential is not limited to their time on the field, but instead, they can dedicate their lives to exciting business endeavors and to giving back to their communities.

Wilson has set up fundraisers to give back over $186,000 in endowments and scholarships to Texas A&M and has started a new real estate business venture, Two Aggies Investment Group, as he continues to pursue what he loves in life after the game.