NFL star quarterback wins fans on whistle stop tour of China

Dressed in a black Nike Tshirt with a prominent “Beijing” splashed across the front, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson talked about the local food he had enjoyed so far on his trip to China and said he couldn’t wait to take in the Forbidden City with his family shortly after meeting with the media in Beijing this week.

But his excitement was most obvious when talking about teaching American football to kids in China, something he genuinely feels he has a responsibility to do. Plus, he gets it. From referencing a Chinese expression about how “the small ball affects the big ball” to persuading Chinese kids how they – like the 1.8-meter-tall Wilson – are not too small to play the game, the 28-year-old appears to have grasped some of the intricacies that make China such a unique market.

He’s passionate about his sport, but also about his beliefs. Publishing a diary-style entry prior to his visit, Wilson wrote in a clear reference to the political tensions in his homeland, “We should no longer live in a time where we need to build tall walls that divide each other. We can instead build great teams that bring us together.”

With English soccer teams Arsenal and Chelsea and NBA stars Stephen Curry and Dwyane Wade also in town on promotional tours, China is becoming an increasingly crowded market among the Western sports leagues and stars.

In addition to his stellar NFL career, Wilson has also been drafted on two separate occasions by MLB teams, dabbling in baseball in his NFL down time.

As a result, he told me that he didn’t see American football as competing with other sports, saying, “Growing up I played three sports and those sports all helped me to grow, mature and learn. Every sport should be able to affect every child, to give hope and to create an opportunity for people to come together.”

In the same week that basketball star Stephon Marbury announced his decision to stay one more year in Beijing, Wilson also said he could foresee a time when he moved to China – perhaps to play, but mostly to interact with Chinese youngsters on a more regular basis.

With his talent, charm, passion for the game and genuine desire to connect with China and its culture, the NFL should do everything in its power to make sure that day comes sooner rather than later.