Who is Stanley Wilson Jr.'s father? Everything to know about Stanley Wilson Sr.

Stanley Wilson Sr. is the father of Stanley Wilson Jr., who passed away in early February. Like his son, Wilson Sr. played in the National Football League in a different position.

However, Stanley Wilson Sr. had his fair share of run-ins with the law and situations that he should have handled better than he did. Wilson Sr. played in the NFL in the 80s and had a couple of situations with the law.

The former 4A player of the year's career was truncated by drug issues, losses of form, and steady violations of the NFL's anti-drug policy. How many people get busted doing cocaine the night before a Super Bowl game? We're guessing the numbers aren't high, but Stanley Wilson Sr. is on the list.

Stanley Wilson Sr.'s career timeline

Stanley Wilson Sr. played college football for the University of Oklahoma, primarily playing the fullback position. He did a pretty good job in Oklahoma, and it didn't come as a surprise when he got drafted into the NFL with the 248th overall pick of the 1983 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, a team that prided itself on developing talent and maintaining discipline on and off the gridiron.

His time with the Bengals was pretty eventful, as even though Wilson was a solid player, he couldn't get out of trouble with the league. What was his kryptonite, you might ask? Two words, hard drugs. Wilson Sr. was suspended for the 1985 and 1987 seasons for violating the NFL's drug policy.

To make matters worse, Bengals offensive coach Jim Anderson caught him in the bathroom, deep into a cocaine binge, the night before Super Bowl XXIII. For that reason, he was withdrawn from the roster, which signaled the end of Stanley Wilson Sr.'s professional football career.

What led to the death of Stanley Wilson Jr.?

Wilson Sr. had at least two sons, Stanley Wilson Jr. and Seth Wilson. Both of his sons played football, following in his footsteps. Unfortunately, Stanley Wilson Jr. died after collapsing at the Metropolitan State Hospital in Los Angeles County on February 1, 2023.

The late Wilson Jr. battled mental health issues all his adult life, which likely contributed to him leaving the National Football League after three seasons as a member of the Detroit Lions. That and a nasty Achilles tendon injury forced him to retire long before hitting his peak.