Florida State's James Wilder Jr. got a happy and emotional surprise on Friday at his individual workout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers—a reminder of his father's own NFL career.
Wilder Jr., who ran for 1,363 yards at Florida State before leaving after his junior year, is being projected as a third-day draft pick; he's ranked 17th among running backs on NFL.com and 18th on ESPN.com, behind Seminole teammate Devonta Freeman.
His father, James Wilder, was a second-round pick of the Bucs in 1981; he played there until 1989 and is still the franchise's all-time career rushing leader, with 5,957 yards, including 1,544 and a Pro Bowl berth in 1984.
Wilder Jr. grew up in Tampa, stayed in state to play in college and wore his father's number, 32. Last week, in a video posted on the Bucs' official website, he spoke about his father's influence. Landing on his father's old team is a long shot, but now he's had a close-up view of his father's place in team history.