Senior Bowl LB Logan Wilson grows from Broncos fan to All-American

[Miles]

MOBILE, Ala. — A year after Dalton Risner made headlines for introducing himself to John Elway at the Senior Bowl, another Broncos fan has arrived in Mobile.


Wyoming linebacker Logan Wilson grew up a Broncos fan, and the Casper native attended a pair of games in Denver during his childhood. On one occasion, he saw his favorite player, Champ Bailey, face off against Chad Johnson.


But when he takes the field this week at the Senior Bowl, Wilson won't be paying much attention to where John Elway is on the sideline or in stands.


"It just comes down to that I've still got to do my thing," Wilson said Tuesday. "You can't get too caught up in all the guys that are going to be here to watch you. You've just got to relax and focus. You're here to play football. I just need to be able to showcase my ability."


Wilson has plenty of it. The 6-foot-2, 250-pound player was a finalist for the 2019 Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football. He was the only finalist who wasn't from a Power-5 school.


Wilson also earned second-team All-American honors from USA Today and was a first-team All-Mountain West choice after his senior season.


"[I'm a] tough, hard-nosed, physical linebacker that prides himself on effort," Wilson said. "One of the things that I'm a firm believer in is effort is something coaches shouldn't have to coach. Effort can also erase mistakes throughout the course of a game. For example, if a linebacker misses a fit, but the [defensive] end is sprinting down the field, he might make a tackle for 5 yards compared to a 15-yard gain. Just little things like that throughout the course of the game can be the difference between a win and a loss."


Wilson, a three-time team captain, could fit the mold of the players the Broncos have selected over the last two drafts. Elway and Co. have seemingly favored seasoned players with a history of leadership.


"Of all the accomplishments that I had at Wyoming, that was my favorite one by far," Wilson said of being a captain. "I definitely put that one on a pedestal. I think my teammates viewed me as a leader, because I really tried to do the little things the right way consistently."


Wilson said he's "very comfortable" in pass coverage after playing safety and cornerback in high school. Wyoming, though, played mostly zone coverage, so he'll aim to show scouts in Mobile that he can cover in man-to-man defenses.


"It's just something I didn't do a whole lot of at Wyoming," Wilson said. "It's not my fault, it's just our defensive scheme. It's not that I can't do it, I just need to showcase that I can."