GREEN BAY – Before all the noise of an NFL gameday, there was a calmness emitting from Emanuel Wilson during pregame warmups prior to last Sunday's game in Pittsburgh.
Following the same routine he used at North Mecklenburg High School in Huntersville, N.C., the Packers' third-year running back sat with his back leaning against the goalpost and his face barely poking out from the hood over his head.
Focus centered on the Bible in his hands, a hectic world around Wilson grew silent.
"That's an everyday thing for me; on gamedays, even at home I'm reading my Bible," Wilson said. "I've been through a deep depression back in high school, college. God got me through a lot of things in my life."
He has. It was faith, Wilson credits, that guided him through the death of his father, Manuel, when he was just 10 years old and once again carried him through more personal adversity during Sunday's 35-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Leading up to the Week 8 matchup, the Packers' third-year running back learned his godfather Shaun Duncan had passed away following a battle with cancer.
"I've been knowing him since … I was in fourth grade, and I always called him my uncle ever since then," Wilson said. "He'd been there all my practices in high school, even in little league, as well."
Wilson honored Duncan's memory with a "UNC" inscription on his tape and followed with one of the finest showings of his young NFL career against the Steelers.
The 5-foot-11, 226-pound running back totaled 87 yards (61 rushing, 26 receiving) on 14 touches, with 77 of those yards aiding Green Bay's second-half comeback.
The emotionally charged performance rivaled the 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns Wilson posted on the 14th anniversary of his father's death, a 36-19 win over Cincinnati during the 2023 preseason.
It also underscored how far the former undrafted free agent has come in a short time for the Packers. Initially claimed off waivers from Denver, Wilson has developed into a backfield staple the past three years.
"I was happy for him," quarterback Jordan Love said. "He had a big-time (game), a lot of big-time plays in (Pittsburgh), whether it was in the run game and the pass game. He's been a guy who's been steady, too. He's been growing, working on his game."
A third backfield option to Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon as a rookie in 2023, Wilson has graduated into being the primary backup to three-time Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs the past two years.
Wilson rushed for 504 yards and four TDs on 103 carries (4.9-yard average) during a breakout sophomore season and is off to another strong start to 2025. He's rushed for 162 yards on 35 carries (4.6) and caught eight passes for another 57 yards.
Wilson's presence has been critical for a ground game that's been without MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) all season and won't be getting the 2024 third-round pick back off injured reserve "anytime soon," according to Head Coach Matt LaFleur.
Jacobs has been limited the past two weeks with a calf injury, which has afforded Wilson more snaps in both practice and gamedays. His 27 snaps against the Steelers were the third-most in a game for Green Bay.
"Josh is going to be our guy, and we're always going to try and maximize his reps, for sure, but it's nice to have a guy like Emanuel that can go in there and do a really good job for us," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said.
"The biggest thing is just him playing with that confidence that he plays with. When he gets the ball, you can feel him."
Wilson will look to do it again this Sunday when the Packers welcome his hometown team, the Carolina Panthers, to Lambeau Field.
The Charlotte native missed out on playing his hometown two years ago due to a shoulder injury that landed Wilson on injured reserve. As both a man and football player, however, Wilson has grown "tremendously" over the past two years.
Wilson has been open about his battles with mental health dating back to high school. He is still working on himself, but now there's a confidence and inner peace that weren't always there.
When adversity hits like it did last week, he places his faith in God and presses forward. Wilson knows Duncan and those no longer here with him wouldn't want it any other way.
"If he was still here, he wouldn't want me dwelling on it," Wilson said. "He'd just want me to go out there and play to my best abilities and that's what I tried to do out there on Sunday."
