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Julian Wilson is a freshman defensive back at Lehigh University majoring in Computer Science and Business. A two-year varsity starter in high school, Julian played safety, linebacker, and occasionally running back at Bishop O'Dowd High School, a hotspot for college football located in Northern California. Julian received a preferred walk-on slot from Lehigh along with going there on a full-ride academic scholarship from the Posse Foundation. Today, Julian talks to us about his recruiting process and what it's like to compete at the next level both athletically and academically.

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2aDays: Describe your experience as a college athlete at Lehigh so far. How has the change been from living in Oakland, California to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania? 

JW: Being at Lehigh has been a life-changing and eye-opening experience. Every day I have been able to interact with new people especially my teammates and my coaches. The weather has been a drastic change especially when I had summer workouts where it was extremely hot and humid. College practice compared to high school practice has been a lot more demanding. We practice every single day except for Monday and on Monday we watch film which also takes up time. Since it is college, the workload is a lot higher and with football, there is not a lot of free time. The coaches have a study hall which helps me get my homework done and it is really easy to get lost and get behind on work so during my free time I like to get as much work done as possible. You're basically in two separate schools at the same time because with football you have to study the playbook, watch the film, and special teams on top of your regular classes.

2aDays: Your recruiting process was especially unique because it ran concurrently with receiving an academic scholarship through the Posse Foundation to attend Lehigh. Can you help explain your peculiar process to aspiring college athletes? 

JW: My recruiting process was pretty unique. After my Covid-shortened junior season, a Lehigh coach followed me on Twitter and I reached out to him with no response for a little while. Two weeks into my senior season I got a game invite to go to Lehigh and I went with my dad. We both really enjoyed the campus and talking to the staff members in the program. Lehigh was the first Division 1 school to show interest in me so I was super excited.

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A couple of weeks later I started an application for the Posse Foundation. My teammate Harrison Jenkins told me about the scholarship and he had done the exact same route as me going from O'Dowd to Lehigh. The Posse Foundation was the best of both worlds because I could go D1 in football and also get an academic scholarship. The Posse Foundation really helped me because they got me into the Computer Science and Business program which is usually hard for freshmen to get into. I essentially got a PWO, but my scholarship is from the Posse Foundation so in tandem I get to play on the team and go to school for a small cost. 

2aDays: Lehigh is a school known for its academic prowess. What are some strategies you have employed as a college athlete to make sure you are on top of your work with such a demanding schedule as a collegiate football player?

JW: In any free time I have, I am getting as much work as I can get done. Like I said before, every night there is a mandatory hour-and-a-half study hall with the team in the library where we all do work. I try to stay ahead of my assignments a couple of days in advance and finish all my work by Friday because a lot of assignments are due on Saturday nights and that is when the games are. I am still working with my academic advisor from high school and I try to go to as many office hours as possible. However, planning out going to office hours in advance and making appointments has been difficult because of the practice times. 

2aDays: Being a strong student opened a lot of opportunities for you as a recruit. What would be your best piece of advice to recruits when it comes to diligence in the classroom? 

JW: Do your best in the classroom. Better grades mean better offers. Patriot League schools with a small number of scholarships mean a high GPA is really important. Schools are going to ask you for your transcript, grades, and what you want to do in college. You do not want to have coaches worrying about you. It shows responsibility to be on top of your work. 

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Image Credit: Lehigh Athletics

* Originally published on December 1, 2022, by William Calhoun