MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Growing up less than two hours from Morgantown, Quincy Wilson always kept tabs on the Mountaineers.
A native of Weirton, West Virginia, Wilson followed the team even though it was difficult with only select games available on television each week. But, eventually, he made his way to Morgantown and he said he was in awe.
“He invited me down for a visit, I had a great time and it kind of just worked out,” Wilson said of then-WVU head football coach Don Nehlen. “I had other places I visited, but nothing felt like home like West Virginia.”
Wilson played running back at WVU for four seasons, where he accumulated more than 2,600 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns. Following his career in Morgantown, he was a seventh round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons and went on to play three seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals.
He’s now the running backs coach at West Virginia State University, and despite his career at WVU ending 16 years ago, he continues to find his way back to Morgantown for the annual Get Moving! Day of Play.
“It’s a chance to see people you don’t get to see every day,” Wilson said. “It’s kind of the perfect relationship where you get to hang out with some of your old teammates and work out with the kids.”
This March will be the seventh annual Day of Play activity camp for Get Moving!, and Wilson has been in attendance for each one.
He said he believes in the organization’s original concept of “Once a Mountaineer, always a Mountaineer,” and it’s one of the reasons he continues to come back. In addition, Wilson said he’s always enjoyed working with children and can see it in those who work the Day of Play, too.
“I think the level of care for the youth,” Wilson said of why he likes the event. “Everyone there is pouring themselves into it. There’s not people there forcing it.”
Wilson enjoys the teaching aspect of the event because it’s an opportunity to “instill some better techniques” to the children, which is often easier to do than with the collegiate athletes he usually works with.
He said it’s also important to work with children to begin preparing them for the rest of their lives.
“But I think the earlier we can start teaching these kids proper running form, eating right, sleeping well — I think the earlier you start teaching kids, the better,” Wilson said.And even if it isn’t working with children, Wilson said to always have a strategy in life and that you’re in charge of it, which he learned from his time in the NFL.
“You’re the CEO of yourself,” Wilson said. “Whatever image you’re trying to portray, it’s on you.”