Jefferson’s Wilson helps Southeast earn Gridiron Kings crown

Posted Jul 26, 2010 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jul 26, 2010 at 12:58 PM

While his Jefferson teammates were busy Sunday claiming a 7-on-7 title at USF, Ramik Wilson was about 90 miles away – but doing the exact same thing.

Wilson, a rising senior linebacker/tight end, helped the Southeast squad claim the Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 title at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista. The Southeast went 4-0 at the four-team event and defeated the Southwest, 36-0, in Sunday’s title game. The event was part of the ESPN RISE Games.

“The experience was real good,” Wilson said. “It was some of the top players in the nation, so there were a lot of real good athletes out there.”

The event featured some of the nation’s top players, including 24 ranked in the ESPNU 150, a compilation of the nation’s top 150 recruits in the Class of 2011. Eight of those players were on the Southeast squad. While Wilson is not ranked in the ESPNU 150, he felt he showed he belonged on the same field.

“I think I made a good statement,” he said.

Corey Long from ESPN.com Recruiting agreed.

“I think Ramik was able to establish himself as one of the top linebackers in the Southeast after this weekend. Obviously he’s a big, good-looking kid and his speed is underrated. One of the rising stars in the Class of 2011,” Long said in an e-mail. “He’s most likely going to go to an out-of-state school and I think the ‘big four’ have missed the boat on him.”

With one of the nation’s top tight end recruits, Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer standout Nick O’Leary, on his team, Wilson played exclusively at linebacker for the Southeast, a 16-member squad in which 75 percent of the roster was from Florida. He did manage to get into the end zone, however, returning an interception for a touchdown during one game, and he helped the Southeast post shutouts in its final three games – something virtually unheard of in 7-on-7 competition.

“Three goose-eggs,” Wilson said with a chuckle. “But we did have a good team.”

In case you want to see Wilson and the rest of the Southeast squad in action, ESPNU will air the championship game between the Southeast and Southwest Wednesday at 7 p.m.