Goodbye Al Wilson

I realize the NFL is a business. I realize that with the salary cap tough decisions have to be made and really good players with high cap numbers have to be cut sometimes. I also realize this is probably a smart move considering his injury from last year and the fact that he's not been able to get cleared to play football. None of these reasons however make it any easier saying goodbye go one of my favorite Broncos of all time Al Wilson. You always knew what you were getting with Wilson. He's a blue collar, extremely tough and physical linebacker that could literally knock you out with his hits. Al Wilson is the epitime of everything an NFL linebacker should be, and is a true leader which will be the hardest thing for the Broncos to replace. I have tons of great memories of Al Wilson, from him coming out and pumping up the crowd with his incredible charisma and enthusiasm, to him taking over games on defense. Here are some of my favorite Al Wilson memories.

• Al Wilson mauling Ricky Williams with one of the hardest hits I've seen live against the Dolphins in a Sunday Night football game. Remember this was Ricky Williams in his prime, a Ricky Williams that was tough to bring down at all and Al Wilson rocked his world sending him flying back 3 yards at least.


• Al Wilson in a snow game at Denver pulverizing Tyrone Wheatley of the Raiders on a 4th and 1. Wheatley was a big dude and Wilson made him look like a high school player with that hit, it was unbelievable.


• Al Wilson nailing Deion Branch to seal a win for the Broncos against the Patriots on a 4th down pass play where Branch didn't really even see him coming.


• Al Wilson's overall intensity and passion in the divisional playoff game againt the Patriots in 2005. He came out of the tunnel and set the tone, pumping the crowd up like he always does. No one was more fired up for that game than Al Wilson. No one.


• Al Wilson always playing with a broke hand with a cast on it. It seemed like every year Wilson broke his hand or his finger or something and he always played with a cast on it for the remainder of the year. This explained his inability to intercept passes.

When I look back at the Al Wilson era, I will look back on it fondly. The Broncos have never had a better true leader on their team and that is going to be next to impossible to replace. I really hope Wilson can get over this injury and get cleared to play, because who ever gets him will truly be lucky. Wilson was a joy to watch, and I know I won't ever forget number 56.