| De'Runnya Wilson | |
| Number: | 1,81 |
| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Birth Date: | 14 September 1994 |
| Birth Place: | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 5 |
| Weight Lbs: | 218 |
| High School: | Birmingham (AL) Wenonah |
| College: | Mississippi State |
| Undraftedyear: | 2016 |
| Highlights: |
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| Pastteams: | |
De’Runnya S. Wilson[1] (September 14, 1994 – January 21, 2020) was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
Wilson attended Wenonah High School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was primarily a basketball star, earning first-team Parade All-American honors in 2013. He joined the football team in his senior season, when he caught 31 passes for 682 yards and helped lead the Dragons to a 10–2 season.
On the hardwood, he helped lead the Dragons to three consecutive state championships and was named the 2013 Alabama Mr. Basketball.[2]
Wilson was rated as a three-star football recruit by 247sports.com,[3] Rivals.com,[4] and Scout.com.[5] He chose to attend Mississippi State over offers from Auburn, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Louisville, Tennessee, and UAB.
Wilson made his debut in the first game of the 2013 season, catching 2 passes for 17 yards in a 21–3 loss to Oklahoma State in the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff.[6] Wilson's first touchdown came on a 59-yard pass from Tyler Russell against LSU.[7] Wilson had a breakout game against Texas A&M, catching 7 passes for 75 yards and 2 touchdowns.[8]
After the football season ended, Wilson played on the Bulldogs men's basketball team. He appeared in 7 games, scoring 6 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.[9]
Wilson started every game at receiver for the Bulldogs in 2014. He had four catches and a touchdown in each of the Bulldogs' wins over top 10 teams LSU,[10] Texas A&M,[11] and Auburn,[12] helping lead the Bulldogs to the #1 ranking. Wilson came on strong at the end of the season, having 8 catches each in losses to Alabama[13] and Ole Miss.[14] He followed it up with 9 catches and 2 touchdowns in the Orange Bowl.[15] Wilson was the 2014 Bulldogs' leading receiver in receptions, yards, and touchdowns.[16]
Wilson was listed on the 2014–15 men's basketball roster,[17] but did not appear in any games.[18] Wilson's career as a basketball player was over, as it turned out later.[19]
Wilson had 8 catches and a touchdown in a 21–19 loss to LSU.[20] He had 102 yards and 2 touchdowns in a rainy 31–13 win over Missouri[21] and a career-high 10 receptions in a 51–50 thriller over Arkansas.[22]
Wilson ranks 5th in school history with 133 receptions, 6th with 1,949 yards, and 2nd with 22 touchdowns.
| Season | Team | GP | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||||
| Mississippi State | 13 | 26 | 351 | 13.5 | 59 | 3 | ||
| Mississippi State | 13 | 47 | 680 | 14.5 | 44 | 9 | ||
| Mississippi State | 13 | 60 | 918 | 15.3 | 48 | 10 | ||
| Career | 39 | 133 | 1,949 | 14.7 | 59 | 22 | ||
On January 1, 2016, Wilson declared for the 2016 NFL draft.[23] He had drawn comparisons to Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson,[24] Carolina Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin,[25] and Baltimore Ravens tight end Darren Waller.[26] Wilson participated in the NFL Scouting Combine but went undrafted, gaining only a workout with the Chicago Bears in October of that year.[27]
On March 20, 2018, Wilson joined the Albany Empire of the Arena Football League as a free agent, but never played a game as the team placed him on recallable reassignment a week later.[28]
On January 21, 2020, Wilson was found shot to death inside his Birmingham, Alabama home. He was 25 years old.[29] Wilson was the father of five children.[29]