The first time I met Muhammad Wilkerson was April, 2011, a couple of weeks before he was drafted. We did an interview at his home in Linden, New Jersey, where he grew up a basketball standout but developed at Temple into an NFL prodigy. I had no idea he'd be picked by the New York Jets, but it seemed like a good idea for a story. Local kid makes good, ready to strike it rich.
His family lived in a modest apartment, and we spoke there for about 20 minutes before walking across the street to a small park that included a dilapidated basketball court.