Russell Wilson told by historian he descended from English royalty

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has royal blood, apparently.

Wilson was in his home state of Virginia over the weekend to participate in the Richmond Forum, where he learned from historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. that he's a descendant of at least one English king.

"I knew it," Wilson said, pumping his fist, according to Randy Hallman of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Gates, who hosts the PBS show "Finding Your Roots," told Wilson and the crowd of 4,500 that he traced the quarterback's lineage all the way back to Saint Arnulf, the bishop of Metz who was born in 582. He also showed a document that listed two of Wilson's slave ancestors as property worth $1,000.

At the end of the presentation, Wilson was asked to share his thoughts on what he had learned.

"Some of our ancestors may have grown up as slaves. Some may have been slave owners," Wilson said. "... We forget we're all human."