Russell Wilson's unique homecoming

It was the summer of 1966 when Harrison B. Wilson, Jr. packed up his boys Harrison III and Benjamin and headed North from Falmouth, Kentucky to Cincinnati – the big city – to take in their first Major League Baseball game.

The family witnessed Los Angeles Dodgers ace Sandy Koufax win his 22nd game that summer, a 7-3 victory over the Reds at Crosley Field on Sept. 3.

"In those days you could pass the park on the highway and you could look over into the major league baseball park," Ben recalled. "I remember our dad had promised us we were going to go to a game, and that was the first game we got to see."

Then, in a bit of coincidence, Harrison B. Wilson III would settle in Clifton about 14 years later as a lawyer for Procter & Gamble. His wife, Tammy, attended Xavier University to finish nursing school, and she eventually worked at the University of Cincinnati.

And, at Christ Hospital, is where Harrison B. Wilson IV and his little brother, Russell, would be born.

So when Russell leads his Seattle Seahawks out onto the turf at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday afternoon, it's the most unique of homecomings for the 26-year-old quarterback.

His father relocated the family permanently to Richmond, Virginia when Russell was just over a year old, but when the family would go back to Kentucky for family reunions they would trek north to visit their home, and friends.

"He would point out this is where you lived, this is where I worked, all that kind of stuff," Ben said.

It's why Russell proudly represents Cincinnati as his birthplace, even now, and why he said Wednesday that if he could, he would grab a bowl of Skyline Chili and revisit his birth home.

"I was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the 'nasty Nati,'" is how Russell opened his conference call with local media Wednesday. "I'm excited about it."

But as his uncle Ben recalled, "Cincinnati is special, for connections long before Russell was born."

One of those reasons was the special friendship Russell's father had with Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Reggie Williams. The two were teammates at Dartmouth College, and their bond only grew when they were reunited in the Queen City during the bulk of Williams' 14-year playing career.

It's also why Harrison IV, who attended Summit Country Day school, grew up a Bengals and Reds fan.

"Really because my dad's best friend was Reggie Williams and so we'd go over to his house after games," recalled Harrison IV, who works for Horizon Pharma, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in the Chicago area.

"So obviously when you're five years old and you have a massive human being and he plays for the team that's all you really know."

Harrison Wilson III would take his son to games on the tickets Williams would leave, but after that the memories cloud for his oldest son.

Naturally, his childhood allegiance to the orange and black faded due to time, and totally once Seattle drafted his younger brother in 2012.

"I still pay attention but I'm no longer Bengals fan," Harrison IV said. "Honestly, if my brother plays for the Seahawks, I'm an avid Seahawk fan. If he plays for somebody else all of a sudden I have a different color jersey. I've kind of removed all alliances once he got his opportunity."

What hasn't been displaced was what Williams meant to his father, and vice versa – which will ultimately always connect the Wilsons to Cincinnati.

"My dad would have done anything for Reggie. They had that type of relationship," Harrison IV said. "I think my dad really, really looked up to Reggie, who he could be academically, who he was as an athlete, and achieving goals."

It's one of the reasons why as he slogged through law school, Harrison III would train mercilessly, hoping for his own shot at the NFL. He was one of the last cuts by the San Diego Chargers before moving to Cincinnati.

"That's probably why my dad said you know what, I can do this, I can at least give this a try, I can at least give myself this opportunity," Harrison IV said.

That inspiration continued, even after Harrison III passed away in June of 2010. Six month later, when Russell led his N.C. State Wolfpack into the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida, Williams met with him to share memories of his father.

"My brother dreamt the dream for Russell and Reggie Williams helped Russell visualize that dream."

It's why Sunday will make for an interesting viewing experience for Williams, who mistakenly called Russell, "Harry," in a conversation due to how similar the two look.

"I do love Cincinnati and will always root for them against any other team – but I will root for Russell Wilson not to get hurt," Williams said. "I hope the Bengals continue to win. The road to a championship is winning at home. A championship team is built around a great defense and the Bengals are playing great defense now, which means they've got to put all the stoppers on Russell Wilson. And I have very, very mixed feelings about that. It would be a very tough game to watch live."

He couldn't help but chuckle a little. It's hard for a former linebacker to admit this.

"I've never had that kind of concern at all about another player on another team, ever."

He's excited to take in the game though, and he will from his condo that overlooks the Peace River, which flows out to the Gulf of Mexico. But Williams acknowledges that even now, there is very little peace about the game. And there will be very little of that as he watches Sunday.