De’Jon Wilson walked into the H.D. Woodson (Washington D.C.) High School weight room, surprising his former assistant coach Wayne Johnson. Just two days earlier, Johnson had seen the Syracuse defensive end on television in a 28-20 win over Boston College. Now, during his bye week, Wilson was back home.
In that moment, Wilson held the same status he once did as a high schooler. The current players bought into his captivating personality and story of success just as much as his teammates once did. That charisma and skill earned him the nickname “swag” from Johnson and his teammates when he still attended Woodson.