Zach Wilson feels like he’s been here before.
The rookie quarterback was part of a change of information at BYU and now wants to do it again with the Jets. As Wilson prepares for his first NFL game on Sunday, he said he wants to be a key piece in elevating the Jets from the bottom of the NFL to the top.
“I think it’s huge. I think this is one of the funniest parts of it all, ”Wilson told The Post. “Once you can do something special, remember what it was like when you had all the minimums and things didn’t go the way they should have. You are able to move forward and improve. There are many learning experiences in this. Then it’s a lot of fun when you can turn it around. ”
Wilson has his work cut out for him. The Jets have missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive years, the NFL’s highest. They have lost more games than any other team in the last five seasons. Wilson compared that to when he came to BYU and the Cougars came out of the season 4-9.
“It’s fun to be a part of something that spins,” Wilson said. “It’s the same story I had at BYU. We weren’t great when I got there. We were 4-9 years old, and then we kept fighting the adversities and getting better every year. ”
The desire to be part of the change is why Wilson said he never considered taking out an Eli Manning and refusing to come to the Jets when they drafted him. There were those who told people close to Wilson that he should avoid the Jets at all costs. Wilson said no one ever suggested he throw this kind of draft day power game. He admits when his name was first related to the Jets at the end of last season, there was some concern.
But once the Jets hired coach Robert Saleh, he felt better with the team’s prospects.
“At first, before the new staff came in and some of the changes we made before, of course you have your speculation,” Wilson said. “The other thing was that it was far from home for me. Once we got into it and found out who the coaches were going to be, the only thing I kept thinking about was how the teams are each year. Everyone wants to go to the team that wins at that point. But in two years they could be the worst in the NFL and we could be the best team. You never know where it will take you.
“They bought me 100%, especially once we arrived in February, because I knew who would come in and the potential they had in ownership.”
A Utah newspaper wrote a column asking the Jets not to take Wilson and clown in team history. Wilson said there is an “absolutely” misperception about the team.
“I think it’s hard in the NFL to do it constantly,” Wilson said. “I think you have to hit it off well with the right staff you bring in and recruiting the right players. I think it just takes time and a lot of trial and error. I definitely think we have something good. As for just the desire to be great and the resources and ownership that give that ability to be great, I feel like we have everything we need here. ”