Recently, BR.com caught up with sixth-year tight end Daniel Wilcox – an Atlanta native – and learned a little about his life on and off the football field.
Coach Harbaugh has talked about how hard you've worked to come back from your toe injury. What sort of things have you done?
"It's just been rehab, rehab, rehab. We started rehab immediately after my surgery trying to get my full range of motion back. I tried to get back into running as soon as I could because the bike and the pool can only do so much. [Head athletic trainer] Bill [Tessendorf] had me on the Ultra T – it's a treadmill with a giant airbag around it. You can be running at anywhere from 10 percent of your body weight to your full weight. I started at around 40 percent and worked my way up to about 90 percent. I also did a lot of jogging outside, but my foot kept flaring up. We worked on my cleats and did a lot of little things like shaving them down to help that out."
You grew up a big Falcons and Deion Sanders fan. What was it like to play with him on the Ravens a few years ago?
"It was crazy. It was a really cool experience. He's an amazing guy, and he and I became good friends. I learned a lot from him about the game of football. He was a guy who left it all out on the field. He would go all out whenever he was there."
How did your time at the Georgia Military Academy prepare you for the NFL?
"It prepared me for the ups and downs of life. Those were two of the hardest years I ever had. Having your officers screaming and hollering at you all the time and all those rules we had to follow, plus being on the football team, if you did something wrong you'd be hearing it from your teammates and coaches. So it was like triple punishment. But it prepared me for an awful lot. I'm able to bounce out of bed in the morning. I rarely oversleep and I'm rarely late. I tend to get up earlier than most guys because of that."
Say you just caught the go-ahead TD in the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl. How would you celebrate?
"I think I'd give the ball to the O-line. Those guys have been working their butts off this whole offseason, and they have come a long way as a unit. They still have a long way to go, but they're putting in the work to get where they need to be. I would give those guys the ball and let them pass it around until the last guy gets it and spikes it."
You've hosted the Baltimore City Spelling Bee for 3 years now. How would you fare against those kids?
"I would probably crash and burn in the first round. Those kids are amazing. They work hard to even get a chance up there, and then they deal with the pressure of being on the stage. Last year, we invited kids from Baltimore City Public Schools to participate, and one of them won the whole thing."
What was it like getting married at M&T Bank Stadium this offseason?
"My wife was searching for venues, but it was hard to find something that we liked and could afford. I decided to talk to Chanda Brigance, Dick Cass and even Steve Bisciotti. We knew that having it there would be worth our money, and it turned out great. We were the first people ever married at the stadium."
As an Appalachian State guy, what are your predictions for their game this weekend against LSU?
"I think Appalachian State will put up a great fight. If it goes the way I want it to, Appalachian State will be able to pull it off again, but it will take a lot of hard work, speed and effort to beat a team like LSU. The Tigers won't sleep on Appalachian State after what they did to Michigan last year."
