Russell Wilson throwback: Full high school game footage from Wilson at Collegiate in 2005

One of the reasons that high school football is difficult to watch for most people is that the players just kind of suck. You could go to 100 high school football games and not see one kid destined for the pros. Unless you have an investment in the team, like you go to that school or you've got a kid in the game or you're on a list, then you'll probably be disappointed if you're used to watching college or NFL games.

But sometimes you can get lucky and witness a special 16 or 17-year-old kid who is playing on another level and isn't just out there for the cheerleaders.

Russell Wilson played at Collegiate in Richmond, Virginia. He was named the Richmond Times-Dispatch Player of the Year as both a junior and a senior. He threw for 40 touchdowns as a junior in 2005 and as a senior had 34 touchdown passes, and over 1,000 yards rushing with 18 more touchdowns. If he was 6'2, he would've had offers from all around the country. Instead he only got them from Duke and NC State.

Scouring the internet for some Russell Wilson history, I came across this page by Teo Mendez. It contains seven full games from Wilson's junior year at Collegiate. I'm embedding game 2 today because ... that's the one I stumbled across first. Collegiate is the team in white.

When you see him play, you can tell that Wilson looks like a real quarterback in the way he conducts himself on the field. There's patience, confidence, and an understanding of the game that's happening in front of him. Watch his run at 4:39 when he sees the play break down and scrambles deep down the field for a first down. He also plays cornerback on every down on defense and punts.

I'm not saying you should watch the entire game or anything, but it's an interesting peak into the past of probably the best quarterback in Seahawks history. In hindsight, how did this kid not get on anyone's radar in 2005/2006?