FRISCO, Texas — Following a career-best physical performance against the Vikings, Cowboys’ Donovan Wilson has earned the new nickname “hitman” by defensive teammates for his jarring hits. The second-year safety totaled half a sack, two forced fumbles, and nine tackles in the 31-28 victory over Minnesota.
Wilson was relentless in his pursuit of the football and garnered praise from his head coach, Mike McCarthy.
“ He’s a stud. I love the way he plays and I’m just so proud of him; Starting out on special teams at the beginning of the year and now, with this opportunity that he has earned at the safety position. He brings it each and every- there’s not a game where he is not coming off with force and he is doing a great job. Probably one of our best players going after the football. He’s always on the football and obviously that was a huge play in the game.”
Wilson quickly made an impact and captivated the eyes of coaches and teammates, even some on the opposing sideline I would gather. On the Vikings’ fifth play of the ballgame, Wilson surged forward on a safety blitz and in the process of completing the sack; he stripped the ball away from Kirk Cousins and gave Dallas’ offense a short field that set up a touchdown.
In the second quarter, his tremendous effort continued. Wilson came up the middle of the field and delivered an earth-shattering hit on Dalvin Cook after he caught the ball and forced a fumble, leading to a field goal. The two forced fumbles add to his season total of three.
Ezekiel Elliott laughed following the victory needing to be reminded of Donovan’s last name in his postgame press conference as he echoed No.37’s praises. He will remember the name now, as many will. Elliott commented on Wilson’s play, “ Been a ball guy since he has been here. Definitely sparked us to the win today.”
Wilson’s contact plays have attributed to the defense’s improvement in recent weeks. The Cowboys have used him in a variety of ways in the secondary and he has been productive all over the backfield flying to the ball.
He has even impressed alumni. The former defender of the Star, Cowboys’ safety George Teague, told D210SPORTS, “ Donovan Wilson has brought to the secondary what we have been waiting for; A physical presence that keeps opposing players on their heels when he is in the area. He has taken advantage of his opportunity and shown his ability to play around the line of scrimmage and also play in space.”
Wilson’s stellar performance and consistent play in the last line of defense, begs the question- why did it take so long for him to see a substantial amount of snaps?
He accumulated three interceptions during his rookie preseason in 2019 but the hard work did not come to fruition on the field for him just yet. Wilson bided his time and waited a year and a half before he was able to receive a larger role in Dallas’ defense.
For many years the Cowboys have stressed an emphasis on turnovers and getting “ball hawks” in the secondary when one of the most instinctive players was on the bench. Both the Marinelli/Richard and Nolan regimes’ were hesitant in giving Wilson time on the field, whether that is because of a lack of confidence in his ability or the desire to play the experienced veterans and moneymakers on the squad. Whatever the answer, tape clearly reveals it was the wrong choice.
The Texas A&M product started seeing increased snaps in 2020 and he took advantage. The Cowboys have just the man in Donovan Wilson that they had searched for unsuccessfully in free agency, a player who has a knack for the football, showcased against the Vikings. He is now a starting safety for America’s Team and deservedly so. The downer is that it took an extended amount of time for the Cowboys to recognize the talent until a quarter of the way through his second season, but better late than never. Wilson will no doubt make up for the lost time but it would be wise for offenses to take note of his crushing hits.
