Michael Wilson's phone has become very important during training camp. Because the Cardinals, most days, are getting on the field around 12:30 and because the United States Women's Olympic soccer team plays most of its games at noon Arizona time (with the time change in Paris), Wilson tries to eek out as much screen time watching the U.S. team and his fiancee, Sophia Smith.
He's done this before, basically. Wilson was in a similar position last year, when he was starting his first NFL training camp right when Smith and the USWNT was playing in the World Cup. He found out during warmups in a recent practice that Smith had literally just scored a goal while he was getting ready to practice.
But this is a relationship in which such conflicts were inevitable. Wilson and Smith have been together for six years, and Wilson said if you had asked him if Smith would be on target to be one of the best women's soccer players ever in the U.S. back then, he said he would've been more surprised if she had not reached that level.
Wilson wants to have a similar career arc if he can -- he has a good chance to emerge as the Cardinals No. 2 wide receiver this year. "I don't half-ass anything in llfe," Wilson said, and you can see it on the field in camp. If anyone needs further proof, he also talked about his marriage proposal to Smith on June 14.
"If I could put a measurement on it, it'd be a 12 out of 10," Wilson said.
It took place in Portland, where Smith plays pro soccer. On June 12, the Cardinals finished minicamp, and Wilson told Smith he was going to be required to return to Arizona the following week. In truth, the Cardinals were done for the offseason.
With their lengthy relationship, the two had discussed marriage, so Wilson worked hard to make it a surprise. He communicated with Smith's agency and with Nike -- Smith is a high-profile Nike athlete -- to create a ruse of a dinner for Nike athletes who were going to the Olympics. He paid for a car service so Smith would be none the wiser. He flew out both his parents and Smith's parents.
And then, in a rose garden outside downtown Portland, Wilson nailed his moment.
"It's going to be hard to top," he said.
