NFL
Rookie Isaiah Wilson May Have the Tennessee Titans Regretting Their Investment Already
John Moriello started covering sports in 1982, began digital publishing in 1995, and joined Sportscasting in 2020. A graduate of St. John Fisher University, he finds inspiration in the underdogs and the fascinating stories sports can tell (both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat). John expertly covers all aspects of NASCAR. Beginning with his 2014 coverage at Fox Sports of the aftermath of the dirt-race tragedy in which Kevin Ward Jr. died after being struck by a car driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, John has excelled as a journalist who specializes in the motorsports world. He previously spent more than three decades covering high school sports and worked as a beat writer covering Big East football and basketball, but NASCAR is now where the true expertise falls. John is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame (2013), the President of the New York State Sportswriters Association, and a two-time Best of Gannett winner for print and online collaborations whose work has appeared on FoxSports.com and MaxPreps.com.
Get to know John Moriello betterPublished12 Sep 2020
When all is said and done, Isaiah Wilson probably won’t go into the books as a first-round draft bust. Unfortunately for the Tennessee Titans, however, the rookie offensive lineman will go down as having been busted before his NFL debut.
Wilson is showing a troubling pattern of behavior. The player and his employer need to address sooner rather than later to save him from the dubious distinction of becoming the first player drafted in the 2020 first round to not make it to the 2021 season.
Police arrested Tennessee Titans rookie Isaiah Wilson
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Police in Tennessee arrested Tennessee Titans rookie offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson late Friday on a DUI charge, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. According to A to Z Sports in Nashville, Wilson was arrested at 11:29 p.m. and booked early Saturday morning. He was released at 1:28 a.m.
Wilson lost control of his car, resulting in the vehicle hitting a concrete wall, according to the police report.
Wilson, 21, blew a 0.107 and 0.113 after police pulled him over. The BAC limit in Tennessee is .08.
“We are aware of the situation,” the Titans said in a statement Saturday. “This is not conduct that is indicative of the character of our football team and we are working through details on how to proceed.”
The Titans are set to travel to Denver this weekend to take on the Broncos in the back half of the doubleheader that traditionally kicks off the Monday Night Football schedule.
Isaiah Wilson arrived this spring with solid credentials
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Everything in offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson’s background on the field suggests he is destined for a successful career. The accolades began with his selection as the New York player of the year in his senior season.
Wilson committed to the University of Georgia, where he redshirted in 2017. He cracked the lineup at offensive tackle the following season and started 24 of 25 games during his two seasons playing for the Bulldogs. He was selected to the All-SEC second team in 2019 despite missing a pair of games due to injuries.
The 6-foot-6, 350-pound Wilson opted to pass up his final two seasons of college eligibility to enter the NFL draft. With tackle Jack Conklin having moved to the Cleveland Browns as a free agent, the Titans selected Wilson with the 29th pick in the first round.
Wilson’s development in the offseason was hindered by training facilities being shut down by the pandemic. He twice placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list twice during training camp.
He was the last Titans draft pick to agree to terms with the team, finally signing his contract in early August. “He’s a massive player that we’re excited to start working with as soon as we can,” head coach Mike Vrabel said at the time.
The DUI charge wasn’t the first transgression
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Tennessee Titans rookie Isaiah Wilson had a previous brush with police during an Aug. 15 incident near Tennessee State University. When authorities arrived following reports of a party, Wilson considered jumping off a second-story balcony to escape, a campus police incident report said.
The New York Post reported it was unclear if Wilson violated the NFL-NFLPA rules. Players are banned from attending house parties with more than 15 people. The rule was put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
