CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — To celebrate its 140th year in the publishing business, The Sporting News recently announced all-decade football teams from the 1960s through the 2020s. Former BYU consensus All-American quarterback Marc Wilson was named to TSN’s 1970s All-Decade All-America Team.
According to TSN, “Wilson beat out two Heisman Trophy winners in Stanford’s Jim Plunkett and Auburn’s Pat Sullivan for the quarterback spot on the list. Wilson, who led the NCAA in passing yards and TDs in 1977 (2,418/24) and again in 1979 (3,720/29), represents the LaVell Edwards line of quarterbacks from BYU that took passing offense in college football to an unseen level.”
Wilson played four seasons at BYU from 1975-79. He started 26 games at quarterback over two and half seasons and led the Cougars to three-straight conference titles. As a senior in 1979, Wilson was named consensus All-America, CoSIDA Academic All-America and was the recipient of the NCAA Top Five Award, NCAA post-graduate scholarship and the Sammy Baugh Trophy.
He was also named Player of the Year by the Seattle Touchdown Club and the Miami Touchdown Club and finished third in the Heisman voting. Wilson finished his Cougar career with 7,637 passing yards and 61 touchdowns, while leading BYU to a 22-4 record as a starter.
Wilson was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 1980 NFL Draft with the 15th pick overall. In ten seasons in the league, he won two Super Bowls with the Raiders and later played for the New England Patriots.