Berks Catholic grad Marcus Wilson continues to chase his football dream

Marcus Wilson is living out his ‘Rudy’ football dream.

Overshadowed in high school, overlooked at two levels of college football, he continues to pursue his lifelong desire to play professional football.

“You see so many stories where a guy walked on (at college), and then it took one year for him to blow up and (the next thing you know) they’re a No. 1 draft pick,” said Wilson, a former Berks Catholic fullback and linebacker. “I know those stories have a one percent chance of happening.”

Wilson wants to become one of the guys who overcomes long odds and makes it to the NFL.

He heads to Wyoming next month to begin training with the Gillette Mustangs, who play in the Champions Indoor Football League, a top-tier arena league.

If Wilson excels in the CIF he could get a chance to play in the XFL or the USFL. If he succeeds there . . .

“It only takes one game, one season, for a coach to see you and say: ‘I’m gonna give this kid a chance,’ ” said Wilson, who played three seasons at Division II West Chester of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and two at Division III Salisbury University of the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

“I never felt like my college coaches bought into me and my chances of being able to excel as a full-time back,” he said.

Wilson’s football journey might have ended after his final season with the Sea Gulls, in 2021, had it not been for an invite to the FCS National Bowl in December that year. He played alongside, and against, players from Division I and II programs and caught the eye of some pro scouts. He scored a pair of touchdowns and averaged 6.5 yards per carry.

“That was the spark I needed,” Wilson said. “I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous going into it, but after the way I performed I was pretty confident in myself in believing that I can do anything that I put my mind to.

“I was able to silence some people once I was able to play against some Division I kids; that helped me out tremendously.”

“He blocked well, caught the ball well and when he was able to touch the ball he made some plays,” said former Daniel Boone and Reading High coach Rob Flowers, who was the Offensive Coordinator for Wilson’s American Team Red.

Preston McKnight, a former head coach at Schuylkill Valley and Reading High, was head coach of the Red all-stars team. Neither he nor Flowers were involved in selecting the players but were happy to see Wilson stand out.

“He compared well (to the other players),” Flowers said. “Body-wise he was there; he moved well. He had a couple big runs. He did all those things that they look for from a running back at that level.”

Wilson excelled as a fullback in the Wing-T at Berks Catholic, where he ended up as the program’s all-time rushing leader with over 3,300 yards. He was a Class 4A All-State pick as a senior in 2016.

He was a four-year, two-way starter during the best run the Saints have known — they went 50-6 with three league titles and three district titles — and played on teams loaded with Division I talent: Isaac Lutz (Penn State), Brandon George (Pittsburgh) and Cooper Lutz (Syracuse).

Wilson earned a preferred walk-on opportunity at West Chester but believes his skill set didn’t fit into the Golden Rams’ offense. He got only 15 carries over his final two seasons, 2018 and 2019. Most of his game-time came on special teams.

He thought he would fare better at Salisbury, but again his success was limited. In the two-game spring 2021 season (after the 2020 fall season was canceled) he rushed for 143 yards and two scores. That fall he played in all 10 games but was limited to 36 touches and three TDs.

He didn’t have enough game tape to catch the interest of a pro team. That’s why the National Bowl appearance was so vital.

“Coming from a D3 program, it’s even harder stepping into the professional realm,” Wilson said. “Being able to be exposed to your top-tier athletes felt pretty good, with all the work that I put in.”

Wilson, 24, took his final classes at Salisbury in the spring of 2022 and graduated with a degree in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine in December. In between he criss-crossed the country looking to continue his football dream. He went to XFL and USFL combines and made contact with teams in the CFL and NFL. He was excited to get a pre-draft questionaire from the Indianapolis Colts.

“I just need a lot more film in the professional world to work my way up,” said the 5-11, 230-pound Wilson.

That’s why he’s headed Wyoming. He’s hoping to open a few eyes with the Mustangs, who joined the CIF as an expansion team in 2021. Their opponents in the eight-team league include the Sioux City Bandits, Omaha Beef and Billings Outlaws. Their season opens March 4.

The money is short but Wilson said the team will pay for housing and help find a part-time job. For the past several months he’s been working at Wyomissing Physical Therapy for his ninth-grade basketball coach at BC, Joe Miller.

He knows the odds of making it to the NFL are long but he’s not ready to give up on himself.

“This is my dream,” Wilson said, ” being able to travel with football and becoming a pro. It’s definitely a stepping stone.”

Wilson is motivated by one of his favorite movies, “Rocky,” the underdog of all underdogs. Like Vince Papale, a bartender from South Philly who made the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster at age 30, Wilson grew up with the dream of playing for the Eagles some day.

“My family would always joke: One day Marcus is going to make it big-time,” he said. “As a kid I was infatuated with the dream. At (West Chester) reality set in. I understood how hard it was to even play in the PSAC; the competition level was very high.

“The dream never died; it was always in the back of my mind. It motivated me to keep going. I worked hard and I battled for positions and when it didn’t pan out in my favor I always had a backup plan.”

If pro football doesn’t pan out Wilson will put his college degree to work. First, he wants to give himself a chance.

“I can give a voice for other kids who are coming from the same situation as me, a kid that had doubt surrounding them,” he said. “I can be an example: Always chase after your dream.”