Tampa, Fla. -- Garnell Wilds knows what it takes to be a great defensive back.
An instinctive player with a high football IQ, Wilds was one of the top defensive back prospects in the country coming out of Hillsborough High School in the late 90’s. He went on to play at Virginia Tech and led the Big East Conference in interceptions in 2002.
“I grew up playing wide receiver and quarterback so when I transitioned to defensive back I kind of knew what the offense was trying to do,” said Wilds.
He spent two years in the NFL before hanging up his cleats and moving back to the bay area.
Today, Wilds works as a defensive backs coach. One of the players he trains just happens to be his son, Garnell Wilds Jr.
“I started when I was six,” said Wilds Jr. “I look up to my dad, he played when he was in college and I was a little baby and I always looked up to him and his legacy. I want to be just like him.”
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Just like his dad, Garnell grew up playing quarterback and wide receiver before making the switch to defensive back. He says the move was a seamless transition.
“It just came natural. I want to try everything once. I want be athletic but then corner just stuck with me. I love it.”
Wilds says father-coach is a tough line to straddle.
“Very, very tough. One of the biggest challenges of my life because I want the best for him and there’s always something you can get better at. But I have to find the line between congratulating him and coaching him.”
Garnell doesn’t just want to be like his dad though. He wants to be better.
“I’m trying to beat everything he did in my time. So I asked him earlier today in the car how many tackles did you have, how many interceptions did you have and I’m going to try and beat that.”
Dad says he takes a lot of pride in watching his son try to outperform him.
“I do, a lot of pride. He’s to the point now where he likes to challenge me so we have fun with it.”
A rising junior at Mitchell, the younger Wilds isn’t sure where he’ll end up for college. But no matter where he goes, he knows he’ll have his father to help him on his journey.