Charles Wade Wilson was born on February 1, 1959 in Commerce, Texas. It was in this northeast Texas town that he spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years. Wilson attended Commerce High School where he very quickly became a standout quarterback, earning himself a spot on the East Texas State University football team. Wilson graduated with a degree in business management, and was an eighth round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1981 NFL Draft.

Wilson played behind quarterback Tommy Kramer for his first 5 seasons with the Vikings, but in 1987 he got his chance at the starting spot and made the Pro Bowl the very next year. He led the Vikings to a 3-playoff appearance in the late 1980’s. Over the course of the next decade, Wilson’s career moved him around quite a bit. He was first traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 1992, then to the Saints in 1993, to the Dallas Cowboys two years later and then finally to Oakland in 1998.

After playing 18 seasons and completing 1,391 passes for a completion rate of 57.3% and a total of 17, 283 yards and 99 touchdowns, Wilson retired as an NFL quarterback. However, his days as a part of the NFL were not over: in 2000 Wilson became the quarterback coach for the Dallas Cowboys. He moved to the Chicago Bears in 2004, where he stayed until resigning to return to the Cowboys on February 22, 2007.