While Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is supportive of Russell Wilson participating in spring training with the New York Yankees, he seemed to deflect questions Thursday about whether he supports the star quarterback appearing in an exhibition game.
"I think it's awesome," Carroll told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine of Wilson's participation in Yankees camp, according to ESPN's Brady Henderson.
"Some guys are maybe traveling all over the world. He's playing ball. He's playing baseball. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, at all. The focus that it takes to play at this level - whether it's baseball, basketball, or football - to compete at that level, the mentality that you have to be at, I think it's only enriching. So I have no problem with that."
However, when asked about Wilson appearing in a game - something Yankees GM Brian Cashman brought up Tuesday - Carroll instead provided a scouting report for the four-time Pro Bowler.
"He's not doing a great job of going with pitches away from him," Carroll said. "We are hoping he will start putting the ball into right field a little bit more, you know. We want him to go with the pitch. Aside from that, the curveball is still giving him a problem, like it always did you know, back in the day. So we will see what happens."
"I respect the hell out of Pete Carroll," Cashman told Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News when discussing the possibility of hearing from the Seahawks head coach regarding Wilson appearing in a spring game, "so I'd look forward to hearing from him."
