David Wilson to miss Virginia Tech spring practices for track

During his recruitment, David Wilson received a phone call from Florida Coach Urban Meyer, who tried to persuade him to become a Gator. Wilson chose Virginia Tech, but he is still going to Gainesville this weekend.

Wilson, a rising sophomore, will not be at the Hokies' spring football practices on Friday or Saturday so he can participate in the Florida relays with the Virginia Tech track team. Wilson has been competing as a sprinter and jumper.

When they recruited him, the Hokies' football coaches said Wilson could also run track. While the rule was that he would not be allowed to miss football practices, they made an exception for this weekend.

Wilson, who tied cornerback Rashad Carmichael for a team-best 40-yard dash time (4.29 seconds) at Virginia Tech's pro day in March, runs so fast he looks like a sprinter on the football field. But Virginia Tech has a talented stable of running backs headlined by Ryan Williams and Darren Evans, so Wilson, who played only small minutes in 2009, could be redshirted in 2010.