Michigan WR Roman Wilson on whirlwind of a month as he prepares for draft: 'I used to pray for times like these'

Michigan Wolverines football wide receiver prospect Roman Wilson has had a crazy month, which began with the Rose Bowl against Alabama (including his acrobatic catch and touchdown on the Wolverines’ game-tying drive), continued with winning the national championship and is ongoing with his NFL Draft prep, now at the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

“It’s been a lot, a whirlwind, going from the natty, going from the Rose Bowl straight to combine [training],” Wilson said on NFL Network’s ‘The Insiders.’ “I didn’t really go back to Ann Arbor.

“But growing up, I used to pray for times like this. This is what I want to do. This is not too much for me. Playing football, this is what I love. I’m happy to be at the Reese’s Bowl, happy to be invited, and this is another opportunity to show the world who I am.”

He’s doing just that, impressing as one of the top standouts during the first two days of practice.

“I just come out here, focus on the details, focus on my routes, focus on catching the ball, just listen to my coaches, praying to God and just coming out here and doing what I do best — and that’s playing football,” Wilson said.

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Wilson, who took a plane to school during a portion of his high school career so he could attend the renowned Saint Louis High School, described what NFL teams will learn about him throughout the process.

“I’m a good guy, charismatic, easy to talk to, easy to come by,” Wilson said with a smile. “I love football, love coming out here and running routes. I’m born and raised in Hawai’i, I’m a Hawai’i boy. I just love being outside and having fun.”

Michigan’s leading receiver in 2023 explained his unique high school experience.

“I have a crazy story,” Wilson said. “From eighth grade to high school, my mom had three jobs. My dad got a job at the airlines so I could go to a private school on a different island. So, I’d get up around 4 in the morning, my mom would take me to the airport, I’d get on the plane and then off the plane, on to a public bus, show up to school 20 minutes late, go to school, go to practice, get back on the bus, get back on the plane and do it again. I did it for like a month straight, and it was hard.

“I remember after that kind of ended I lived with three different families. I kind of rotated through them. It was still hard, just taking the bus to school, trying to figure out how to get around, how to be an adult at a young age.”

Finally, at one point, Wilson’s father got a one-bedroom apartment, for which he was appreciative “to go to a place I called home.”

“A place where they didn’t even have furniture,” Wilson continued. “I remember calling my dad in the morning like, ‘We don’t have shower curtains.’ I’m so blessed to have a shower curtain right now. That made me who I was today. I’m so grateful I got to experience that at a young age. It was hard, but it made me who I am today.”

Wilson is hoping to make his family proud as he takes the next step from Michigan to th e pros.

“My family has done so much for me,” Wilson stated. “My family has been through a lot. I just want to continue making them proud and hopefully one day I’ll pay it back for them.”

Roman Wilson weighs in on Jim Harbaugh to the Los Angeles Chargers

Wilson’s head coach at Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, has also taken the jump to the NFL once again. An NFL quarterback for 15 years and head coach with the San Francisco 49ers for four, he’s back in the league as the new head man of the Los Angeles Chargers.

“Coach Harbaugh going to the NFL, I just feel like he’s got a little itch to win a Super Bowl,” Wilson said. “That’s what he wants. He accomplished what he wanted in college, and I feel like this is his opportunity to take it to the next level — and good for him. I’m happy for him.”

Wilson would love if the two could reunite in the NFL.

“I hope he drafts me. That’d be a great thing,” Wilson said. “If I can help him do that then that’d be good for me, too.”

When it’s said and done, Wilson will just be elated to be picked at all, though he’s a projected second-round pick at this point.

“If you get drafted it’s a win. All you need is an opportunity,” Wilson said.