No. 21 WR Wilson returns in debut

Confused? Well, it's not injured wide receiver and fan favorite Charles Wilson. But Sir Mawn Wilson is a local product, and he's ready to contribute.

By JOHN C. COTEY

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000

TAMPA -- The No. 21 jersey bearing the last name Wilson returns to Storm turf for tonight's game against Milwaukee.

But it won't be worn by injured wide receiver Charles, the Wilson most familiar to fans. Instead, Sir Mawn Wilson makes his Storm debut.

"I guess that will be kind of weird for the fans," said Sir Mawn Wilson of wearing Charles Wilson's jersey for now. The Storm was unable to assign Sir Mawn a number in time for the game because he was a late addition this week due to an injury that might keep leading receiver James Bowden sidelined.

Not that it matters to Sir Mawn, who probably would agree to squeeze into kicker Matt Huerkamp's jersey for a shot to play again.

"This is real exciting," Sir Mawn said. "I'm still learning the system, and it will take awhile before I know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm excited about the prospects."

As is the Storm, which needs someone to step in for Bowden if he can't play. Bowden, the team's leading receiver, is most responsible for the Storm's turnaround, but an ankle injury sustained two weeks ago in Grand Rapids has been slow to heal.

Sir Mawn spent a season on the Denver Broncos practice squad -- he earned a Super Bowl ring in 1998 -- and was in one training camp with New England, a stint cut short by a hamstring injury that sidelined him for eight months.

Sir Mawn is something the Storm hasn't had since Jay Gruden -- a hometown athlete with skills. He is the only Storm player who played high school football in Tampa.

Then known as Jeyson Wilson, Sir Mawn was a track and football star at Tampa Catholic in the early 1990s. He earned a scholarship to Syracuse as a defensive back, played safety his first two seasons and then switched to wide receiver.

About his name: Sir Mawn said it comes from his father, Ron. Ron always wanted to be referred to as Sir, but because his stay in the military was too short to earn that title, he morphed Sir Ron into Sir Mawn. Wilson finally embraced his given name in college because the team had too many Jasons. The only thing he doesn't like about the name is that it sounds, well, kind of ... small.

"I get that a lot," he said, "people telling me it sounds like a little guy."

He is 6 feet 2, 210 pounds. Despite his size, he might be the team's fastest receiver, but he isn't saying. "We haven't had a race," he said. "Let's just say when I was at Syracuse, we were timed electronically and I ran a 4.26, which was either a school record or second."

Sir Mawn then smiled slyly: "That was in 1996 ... and I haven't gotten much slower."

Except when hurt. A hamstring injury slowed him last season. In Patriots camp last August, Wilson was running a route when "it felt like somebody had punched me in the back of the leg."

He was released and began a lengthy rehabilitation. In May he tried to return to the Arizona Rattlers, who owned his rights and for whom he had played three games in 1997 before Denver signed him.

"I called Arizona and told them I was ready to play again," he said. "They said they'd get back to me. Well, I never heard from them."

A few more calls weren't returned despite promises as days turned into months and the season slipped away. "I was sick of sitting around," Sir Mawn said. "It was killing me."

Hours before the trading deadline passed, the Storm swung a deal for Sir Mawn for future consideration. Three weeks later, he is ready to make his return before friends and family. Maybe he can earn another championship ring. He keeps his Super Bowl ring in a safety deposit box, and though he treasures it, he knows he did not contribute on the field.

"It's a nice piece, but really, I would prefer it had I had an active part (in winning it)," Wilson said. "Hopefully, I can get that chance here."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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