Why is Russell Wilson at NC State March Madness game? Steelers QB former college team play

Russell Wilson made a surprise appearance in March Madness on Saturday.

Wilson, who recently signed a one-year contract with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, was shown at 11 seed NC State's game against 14 seed Oakland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

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Wilson, 35, is coming off two seasons with the Denver Broncos after his 10-year career with the Seattle Seahawks. The longtime quarterback is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and also won the 2013 Super Bowl.

Why was Wilson at the Wolfpack's game against Oakland on Saturday? Here's a likely explanation:

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Why is Russell Wilson at NC State's game against Oakland?

NFL veteran quarterback Russell Wilson was shown at NC State's second-round game against Oakland on Saturday. The game was held at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, where Wilson currently plays.

While many might remember Wilson for his senior season at Wisconsin, in which he threw for 3,175 yards with 33 touchdowns to four interceptions, the quarterback actually played the first three seasons of his college career for the Wolfpack.

Wilson was likely just catching a game from his former program, where his No. 16 jersey is honored.

Wilson famously transferred to Wisconsin for the 2011 season, as NC State decided to start Mike Glennon instead of Wilson, who played minor-league baseball the summer heading into his senior season. That decision also caused him to miss the spring football season. Wilson was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies.

Wilson threw for 8,545 yards with 76 touchdown passes to 26 interceptions in three seasons as the Wolfpack's starter.

Russell Wilson college

Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson attended Wisconsin for his senior year of college. However, he played at NC State for the first three years of his career, likely explaining why he was at the Wolfpack's second-round NCAA Tournament game against Oakland on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Russell Wilson college: Why is Steelers QB at NC State basketball game?