‘I’m just a funky rookie’
Humble Wilkins finding his niche in first pro camp
Becoming a first-round NFL draft pick is a lifechanging experience. Each year, more than a couple dozen twenty-somethings become instant millionaires, and many are naturally excited to start spending some of their cash.
But for Christian Wilkins, even buying snacks for his teammates as part of his rookie duties was a painful experience.
“I’m thrifty as it is, so that kind of hurt my soul a little bit to buy 100-something-dollars worth of snacks,” he said. “I love Costco. That’s always a good route to go. A little cheaper and buying in bulk, so the next time the guys need snacks, you’ve got plenty of them. That’s a good way to go. Shout out to Costco.”
Wilkins has done everything to refrain from burning through his new NFL contract quickly. Most of his money immediately went to the bank, he has set an amount to spend this year and he gets around in his girlfriend’s 2015 Jeep Patriot instead of springing for a fancy car of his own.
None of this is surprising for someone like Wilkins, who remained humble and motivated even as he helped the Clemson Tigers to two national championships and went on to be selected with the 13th overall pick by the Dolphins this year. Even something as normal for a top pick as seeing himself in the new Madden video game has been a reminder of where he started.
“When I was a little, fat, chubby kid I dreamed of being in Madden one day and playing in the NFL,” he said. “Now being 23 years old, I’m like, ‘Dang, I’m really in the Madden game.’ I think that’s just pretty cool.”
Back during minicamp at the start of June, teammates and coaches were already praising the defensive tackle for his work ethic. But with training camp officially underway, Wilkins still looks to get more out of himself.
“I hold myself to a high standard and I’m never satisfied. That’s just the approach I take to this game,” he said. “No matter how good I get, no matter how well I do, I’ll never be satisfied. Also, because I know being out here, I’ve got a long way to go before I’m where I want to be. Going against these guys, until I is enjoying completely dominate everything, I’m never going to be satisfied.”
The defensive line is arguably the weakest part of the defense this season, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wilkins end up as a starter despite this being his first year in the league. But he hasn’t made that a goal for himself, instead continuing to try to focus on self-improvement.
“My goal is not to be the starter. My goal is to be the best that I can be. If being a starter is a result of being the best I can be, then so be it,” he said. “That’s how I make my goals and how I view things and how I attack things. I don’t make them too specific like that. Again, I’m trying to work every day to compete and be the best that I can be.” in the Dolphins’ camp.
Camp is only a week old so there is plenty of time for Wilkins to keep improving and acclimating to the NFL level of play before decisions are made on who will start. But despite the expectations surrounding him, he has enjoyed just being a rookie. He was planning to go get more snacks for his teammates after finishing practice.
“I’m just a funky, ole’ rookie. These guys, they love me and they respect me, but they make sure they make me realize that every day,” he said. “I’m happy to do it, because those guys are my teammates and I’ve got to respect the chain of command right now. I’m just a funky rookie, got to carry helmets, got to bring the snacks.”