Former George Washington High School and Delaware Valley College quarterback Aaron Wilmer is hoping to latch on to an NFL team, either as a late-round draft choice or as an undrafted free agent. He worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday. TIMES FILE PHOTO
Much like a boardwalk carousel on a warm summer night, the Eagles’ quarterback situation has spun round and round this offseason.
Nick Foles is out, and Sam Bradford is in … for now. The Marcus Mariota dream continues to hang in the ether as the NFL Draft approaches, and Chip Kelly, about as outside-the-box a thinker to ever coach in this town, even brought the exiled Tim Tebow in for a workout. Outside of backup Mark Sanchez, who was re-signed to a contract extension, nobody really knows who will be listed on the team’s QB depth chart come September.
But how about this potential name: Aaron Wilmer.
Wilmer, a 2010 graduate of George Washington High School, has spent the past four seasons as the starting quarterback for Division III’s Delaware Valley College. He won 35 of his career 45 starts, twice taking the Aggies to the Division III NCAA Tournament. Wilmer had 10,157 passing yards and 1,638 rushing in his career, earning the distinction of being one of just 26 quarterbacks at any NCAA level to cross the 10,000/1,000 threshold.
Bigger college programs shied away from Wilmer out of high school because of his size (listed now at 5-foot-10, 210 pounds), and were interested only if he would switch to another position, such as wide receiver or defensive back. But Wilmer is a quarterback all the way down to his soul, so he stuck true to his guns and took the road less traveled, beginning his collegiate career at West Chester before redshirting and transferring to Del-Val.
It’s a good thing he did. On Wednesday morning, in the weeks leading up to the draft on April 30, Wilmer had his first pro workout for none other than Kelly and the hometown Eagles. It was just a workout, and Wilmer signing on to join the Eagles is not imminent — these workouts are commonplace to improve a prospect’s stock before and after the draft — but it was certainly a step in the right direction.
“It was awesome, and I did really well,” Wilmer said. “Coach Kelly and (offensive coordinator) Pat Shurmur and (quarterbacks coach) Ryan Day all praised me, and I left there feeling good. It was my first specific workout with an NFL team, and they just put me through some positional drills to see how I’d fit the system. Three- and five-step drops, different routes and combos, just a lot of reps to see how I’d fit their pro-style spread offense.”
Wilmer is doing what hundreds of prospects from lesser-known colleges do this time of year: auditioning in the hopes that he lands a future job to continue his football career. Along with the Eagles, the Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins have also shown interest, as have plenty of franchises in the Canadian Football League, which Wilmer said would be a great fallback option if the NFL dream doesn’t immediately materialize.
But make no mistake about it: the young man wants to play in the NFL, and he believes he has the talent and skill set to do so.
“Not many guys from the Division III level, especially someone undersized for the position like I am, have gone through so many leaps and hurdles to get on teams’ radar,” Wilmer said. “It’s a blessing to be in this situation. I’ve known all along that I’ve had the talent, so I just need someone at the NFL level to back that up. I’m just looking for an opportunity, and I’m happy the Eagles gave me a chance to showcase my skills.”
Wilmer certainly has a pro-style arm, and his accuracy and feel for the position, as well as the fact that he’s a proven winner, make him an intriguing pro prospect. He’s also a dual threat, able to beat you downfield with his arm or he can take off with his legs when the pocket collapses around him. The only real knock is his size, though that certainly hasn’t held back guys like Drew Brees or Russell Wilson, the latter of whom Wilmer draws the most physical comparisons to.
Is Wilmer Brees or Wilson? Certainly not, at least not yet; Brees has won a Super Bowl and is a future Hall of Famer, while Wilson has already won a Super Bowl and played in another in his three NFL seasons. And, like Wilmer, Wilson was not heralded coming out of the University of Wisconsin, falling to the third round and having to prove he could win at the NFL level despite standing only 5-foot-11.
“You don’t know how difficult it has been, trying to break in as an undersized quarterback,” Wilmer said. “My talent has never held me back, just my size. Any knock put on me, I just use it as fuel and put it into the next workout. Guys like me and Russell Wilson, we’ve stuck to our guns because we wanted to play quarterback. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, even if I could have been a Division I player at another position. It’s more than just a position to me … it’s a lifestyle. It’s something inside of me, and while it may indeed be the road less traveled, it’s been an awesome road. I’m going to stick to my guns and keep it going into next season when hopefully I’m on an NFL roster.”
Scouts and coaches will tell you they covet quarterbacks who are 6-foot-3 and taller because those guys can see over an NFL offensive line where the bodies of those who play the position resemble Redwoods more so than human beings. But Wilmer counters that unless you’re about 6-foot-6, then it’s impossible to entirely see over an O-line, which features the biggest, tallest and strongest guys on a team.
“I mean, look at a guy like (Eagles left tackle) Jason Peters, who’s got to be about 6-foot-8 (actually 6’4’’, 328 lbs.),” said Wilmer, who lives near Bustleton Avenue and Tomlinson Road. “You’d have to be LeBron James to see over some of these lines. It’s not about seeing over the line; it’s about finding your throwing lanes and seeing where guys are at. I’ve got the athletic ability and everyone knows my greatest strength is my arm. I have a pretty solid NFL arm and can make all of the throws on the field, so it’s not that at all. Like I said, it’s more about opportunity than anything else.”
Despite his through-the-roof confidence, Wilmer remains a longshot prospect, just because of the preconceived notions of what your body is supposed to look like to play the quarterback position. He is hoping he impresses enough in pre-draft workouts for a team to take a late-round flier on him, but said, “More likely, we’re looking at an undrafted free agent, and hopefully I’ll be picked up by someone in the hours following the draft. It’s one of those things where you just have to play the waiting game, be patient, keep working out and stay ready.”
While out of the ordinary, Wilmer’s path is not impossible. Tom Brady wasn’t picked until the sixth round, and names like Peters, Tony Romo, Arian Foster, Wes Welker, Antonio Gates and Kurt Warner are just a few who went from undrafted free agent to NFL stardom. Somebody took a chance on all of those names, and Wilmer is just looking for the same.
“It would be the biggest thing to ever happen to me, and it would just mean so much,” Wilmer said. “I wish you could see and hear all of the people who have put me down going back to high school. I had awesome high school and college careers, but they still say I’m too short. My success in getting here has been a way to kind of get back at the recruiters and scouts who said I couldn’t make the NFL. They were wrong, and when I get there, my dream will be true. I’ve worked so hard for this, and for it to happen would be such a gratifying relief. And I will never, ever get complacent, even when I do get there.”
Wilmer has pushed himself to the limit to realize his dream for his 1½-year-old daughter, Giovana, stating that, “It’s all for her, man.” But part of it is also for himself and all the other undersized, unheralded guys who people said couldn’t make it. And whether he plays for the Eagles, another NFL team, in the CFL or elsewhere, Wilmer says you know what you’re getting when you bring him on board.
“The two most important things are competitiveness and leadership,” he said. “My competitive nature is second-to-none, and I’ve always tried to do the right thing as a leader. Talent, too, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have that. I would say two months ago I was a nervous wreck, but once I built up some interest, it’s been a snowball effect to the point where it’s not if or when someone signs me, but who. I’m anxious to see who it is.
“As far as the Eagles, who wouldn’t want to play for them? Not everyone can say they worked out for their hometown team, and I’m pleased they gave me the chance to show what I can do. All I can do now is wait for the next opportunity, and I hope it is the Eagles, because there’s nothing I’d rather do than be wearing that green down at the Linc next season.” ••
Follow Ed on Twitter @SpecialEd335
