Now, just one year later, Wilson is a fourth-round flameout, a practice squad passer who couldn't crack the 53-man roster of the team with the worst quarterback rotation in the NFL.
What happened? How did Wilson go from the penthouse to the outhouse so fast?
As is usually the case, there isn't really a cut-and-dried answer. It all began in Fayetteville two years ago.
Just about everything went right for Wilson and the Razorbacks in 2011. At the helm of head coach Bobby Petrino's offense with an impressive array of weaponry at his disposal, Wilson had an outstanding season.
The Razorbacks' only two losses that year were to LSU and Alabama, the two teams that would go on to play for the national title. The team won 11 games, capping off the year with a victory over Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl.
The accolades rolled in. First-team All-SEC. Finalist for both the Manning and Unitas Golden Arm Awards. Offensive MVP of the bowl win over the Wildcats.
Many folks expected Wilson to declare for the NFL draft after his phenomenal junior season, but he chose to return to Arkansas for his senior year.
It turns out that may have been a titanic mistake.
Petrino was fired in April of 2012, amid a scandal involving an affair with a former Arkansas volleyball player. Personnel losses and injuries ravaged the Arkansas offense. The team free-fell from 11-2 to 4-8, and Wilson's numbers dropped right along with them.
Granted, that drop in production was hardly all Wilson's fault. However, flaws were exposed ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
