The death of former Wenonah High School and Mississippi State University football star De’Runnya Wilson hit hard in Birmingham this week.
It’s a weary town that has been shaped by years of gun violence, but Wilson’s murder is a new kind of pain that I’m not going to be able to shake. He did the right things in high school. He worked hard at Mississippi State. He made it out.
Then he returned to Birmingham, and he died here in this city where daily life for many young people remains difficult and dangerous.
Wilson was found shot to death in his home on Tuesday. An investigation by the Birmingham Police Department is underway, and Wilson’s mother and siblings have asked for anyone with knowledge of the crime to help bring the family some closure. The anonymous tip line for Crime Stoppers is 205-254-7777.
A GoFundMe account was set up to raise $15,000 for Wilson’s funeral costs, and it has far exceeded that goal. Additional money raised will help support Wilson’s children. The outpouring of support for Wilson’s family is a testament to how well-liked Wilson was in Birmingham and in Mississippi. He had one of those smiles that brightened a room.
He also made generations of Mississippi State fans happy with his God-given abilities. The Bulldogs were never better than when Wilson was fearlessly running routes across the middle of the field in the toughest division in sports.
At 25 years old, he was only a few years removed from that college-football stardom with the Bulldogs. He ranks second in Starkvegas for touchdown catches in a career (22), and was a major part of Mississippi State’s rise to No.1 in the country during the 2014 season.
Mississippi State fans will never forget his touchdown catch against Auburn that season. Cowbells were made for moments like that. It showcased Wilson’s toughness and imposing size. At 6-5 and 215 pounds he was hard to take down.
Wilson and quarterback Dak Prescott helped deliver Auburn’s first regular-season loss in over a year, and that game marked what many consider to be one of the best times in the history of the SEC West. On the Monday after Mississippi State’s 38-23 victory against Auburn, four teams in the division were ranked in the Top 10 of the AP poll: Mississippi State (1), Ole Miss (3), Auburn (6) and Alabama (7).
Wilson helped establish Dan Mullen’s career as a head coach, and change the perception of Mississippi State football. His name will forever be tied to that legacy. MSU went 19-7 over Wilson’s sophomore and junior seasons.
There was never a better time to be a Bulldog.
“Megan and I are very sad to hear of De’Runnya’s tragic passing,” Mullen said in a statement this week. “While we were together at Mississippi State, we were proud to watch De’Runnya grow as a player, and achieve great heights in college football. Bear had a contagious smile and spirit. Our prayers go out to his family.”
Wilson declared for the NFL Draft after his junior season and wasn’t selected. Due to NCAA rules, he couldn’t return for his senior season. At Wenonah, he was actually better known for his accomplishments on the basketball court. He won multiple state championships and was voted Mr. Basketball in the state his senior year.
Socially aware as a senior in high school, Wilson volunteered his celebrity in 2013 to the city of Birmingham’s “Stop the Violence” campaign.
“I just want to say, in the city of Birmingham, we got to stop the violence,” Wilson said in the PSA, “because it is having an effect on all the younger children that are coming up in the new generation.”
Those are heartbreaking words now, and the gut-wrenching sorrow of losing another young person in this city grows stronger with every death. Gun violence is an entrenched epidemic here. The legacy of Birmingham’s sickness stretches back decades, but it’s up to the future voices of this town to change it.
Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group. He’s on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr.