ORONO, Maine — Matt Wilson had hoped to continue a family tradition by attending the U.S. Naval Academy.
Three cousins on his father’s side of the family went to Annapolis, while his dad and his uncle both served in the Navy.
As it turned out, Navy wasn’t interested in Wilson as a football player. So when the University of Maine came calling with a scholarship offer, he charted a new course for Orono.
Wilson is a third-year starter on the defensive line for UMaine. He plans to have numerous family members in attendance Saturday night when the Black Bears take on Towson University — located in Maryland — in their Colonial Athletic Association opener.
Wilson, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound senior from Freeport, New York, will line up at nose tackle as UMaine tries to slow the Tigers’ potent ground game.
“The one word that comes to mind with Wilson is consistency,” UMaine defensive line coach Jordan Stevens said. “He’s a guy that when he’s in there, you don’t really have to worry about him. You know he’s always going to get the job done.”
Wilson is tied for fifth on the team with 15 tackles, including a team-best 4.5 for a loss of yardage. His responsibility is to bottle up the middle.
“He’s a strong, thick kid who’s got a ton of pride in his work,” UMaine head coach Jack Cosgrove said. “He’s kind of done a thankless job for us for a couple of years.”
Wilson, who developed an appreciation for one-on-one confrontations as a four-year wrestler at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, New York, enjoys battling the opposing center.
“You’re in the trenches. You’ve got to put your head into somebody every play and if you take a play off, it’s going to show and you’re going to get punished,” he explained.
Stevens explained that Wilson is primarily a run defender who plays on first and second down. Even though he’s frequently taking on double-teams, there is no threat of Wilson giving less than 100 percent in any effort.
“You can always count on him,” Stevens said. “He’s going to show up every game, every practice. He’s a guy that you can trust when he’s in there.”
Wilson’s emphasis on stopping the run is central to the Black Bears’ defensive philosophy. Executing his assignments has meant expanding his knowledge of the game in addition to getting bigger and stronger.
He has devoted considerable time to film study with his fellow defensive linemen.
“Looking at the backfield and understanding what they’re going to do, the tendencies, that’s where I think the biggest growth has come for me,” Wilson said.
Wilson was an all-state, all-Long Island and all-league selection at Holy Trinity. He chose Division I UMaine over a scholarship offer from Division II C.W. Post.
He didn’t play tackle football until his freshman year of high school after serving as the quarterback on his middle school flag football team.
Wilson’s first memory of attending a football game was a trip to RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., to watch Navy take on Notre Dame.
Even though Wilson did not pursue a naval career, he has been strongly influenced by his parents, Patricia and Christopher. After finishing school in December, the political science major, with a minor in business management, will follow in his dad’s footsteps.
“He was a cop for 32 years. Seeing the way that he lived his life, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to follow,” Wilson explained of his decision to become a police officer.
Wilson, who is keeping the door open for a possible shot at pro football, has made a good impression during his time at UMaine.
“Matt’s a guy that I’ve really come to respect, not only as a student, an athlete and a football player, but as a young man,” Cosgrove said. “He’s a guy who’s matured here in every aspect.”