Christian Wilkins has a not-so-secret undercover identity: He’s a White Tiger Power Ranger. On the field, he morphs into his alter ego aiming to defend his team from evil.
Wilkins nicknamed his Clemson teammates — the defensive line — after his favorite superheroes, the Power Rangers. Several of his teammates morphed into their own characters, such as Clelin Ferrell, the green ranger, and Dexter Lawrence, the pink ranger. They had Power Rangers handshakes off the field and sack celebrations on it. The group, dressed as Power Rangers, even surprised Clemson coach Dabo Swinney at his house on Halloween 2016.
This is just a glimpse into the Miami Dolphins rookie who is a kind-hearted athlete trying to break the mold of a stereotypical football player.china nike nfl jerseys cheap
“Christian is always having fun. He’s a rare breed. He’s a one-in-a-million person who just happens to be good at football,” Swinney said. “He uses the game. He doesn’t let the game use him. Miami will love him.”
The Dolphins selected Wilkins, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound defensive tackle, with the No. 13 pick in April’s NFL draft with eyes on him being a cornerstone of their rebuild. Miami hopes Wilkins will make an on-field impact comparable to that of the Tennessee Titans’ Jurrell Casey. But what makes Wilkins unique is the package that comes with the player.
Wilkins, 23, dances, sings, cooks, jokes, backflips and moonlights as a substitute teacher.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china
He did a smooth split and gave Swinney a wet willy on national TV after Clemson won its national titles.
Wilkins gave NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a flying shoulder bump on stage after he was drafted.
He’s a natural leader and a team captain. His personality lights up every room, and he’s unapologetically frolicsome.
“I’m completely happy being myself. A lot of people spend their lives trying to be something else. With all the social media, everybody wants instant gratification,” Wilkins said. “Everybody wants to be like this person or that person. Everybody wants to have a certain amount of followers or likes. I’d rather have 10 followers being myself than a million putting on a persona.”
Wilkins arrives just in time for Miami — a city full of fun with a dearth of sports stars and personalities to represent it.
“You all just lost D-Wade, so Miami is going to need somebody to help fill that void,” Wilkins said. “Hopefully I can work into that role and Miami will love me like they love D-Wade.”
