Connor Halliday is the first quarterback since Jason Gesser to lead the Washington State Cougars to a bowl game, and in the process he broke multiple WSU passing records in 2013. Against Oregon, Halliday also set the FBS record for most pass attempts in a game with 89 attempts.

2013 may have been a career season for Halliday; however, he would likely be the first person to tell you that he has plenty of work to do this offseason if he hopes to improve and find a spot on an NFL roster after graduation. 

There is one man that Halliday could look to as a role model for his own future – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.  Wilson is a true model for success at the collegiate and professional level of football, not to mention a model for success for life in general.

Wilson cemented his legacy in Seattle Seahawk lore this season as he became the first Super Bowl winning quarterback in franchise history.  Over his first two seasons he has already been referred to as the NFL’s next Drew Brees, which is high praise considering Brees has a resume that will almost undoubtedly lead to a first ballot Hall of Fame induction. 

Everyone wants to put their own brand on their given craft, and Halliday should be no exception.  With that being said, it helps to look to others that have been successful within their craft and emulate certain components of those individuals’ skillsets to help them in their own career. 

Russell Wilson has plenty of components in his approach to the game of football that Halliday could take heed to.  First off is commitment.  Wilson not only preaches commitment in his interviews and press conferences, but he oozes commitment in every fiber of his being on the practice field, in the film room and on the playing field.

The next component of Wilson’s game that has made him a champion is his attention to detail and preparation.  Just by analyzing Wilson on TV, one can tell that his attention to detail is immaculate.  He approaches every play with the same intensity and focus, and any risks he takes are calculated. Also, judging by what his teammates and coaches say about him in press conferences, he is the first person at the facilities in the morning and the last person to leave.  This culminates to the fact that Wilson spends hours upon hours studying, preparing and studying some more so that he misses nothing when game time comes.

The final component of Wilson’s game that makes him so special is his commitment to knowledge. This is a lesson that can help anyone in any facet of life, not just in football.  Benjamin Franklin once said about a man he knew in Philadelphia, “The man died at 25, but wasn’t buried until 75.”  What Franklin was referring to was the pursuit of knowledge, and the day someone stops learning is the day their brain and their spirit die. 

A recent quote from Russell Wilson shows that he is an individual who intends to truly live until the day he dies.

“The biggest thing is doing what I do best and that is working hard,” Wilson said. “Every day I wake up and that’s my goal, to be on a constant quest for knowledge and do something different, being unique and being uncommon.”

A commitment to learning and knowledge is imperative for success for anyone in any arena of life, and Russell Wilson has proven that his constant quest for knowledge can pay off in the biggest way possible.  If Connor Halliday can infuse these ideologies into his own work ethic and his own persona, he could do great things for Cougar football next season and very possibly create an NFL future for himself.