Former Giants running back David Wilson triple jumping his way to Rio Olympics

David Wilson started racking up gridiron records as the star running back at George Washington High School in Danville, Virginia. His senior year, Wilson set an Eagles record with 2,291 rushing yards on way to being named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state. He went on to accept a scholarship from Virginia Tech, where he established a new school record for the Hokies with 1,709 rushing yards during his junior year.

In 2012, Wilson became the New York Giants first round pick after turning in the top performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in the vertical jump, broad jump and shuttle run. His professional career got off to a promising start, before he suffered a devastating injury in the fifth game of his second season.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles, Wilson took a hit to the neck and was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, effectively ending his football career, but not diminishing his appetite to compete.

Now Wilson has swapped out his cleats for track shoes and is embarking on second career in triple jump. VICE Sports video crew flew out to California to see him train as he attempts to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Before he punches his ticket to Rio, Wilson will have to earn a spot on Team USA at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Eugene, Oregon, next July.

A photo posted by David Wilson (@4stillrunning) on Jun 14, 2015 at 1:58pm PDT

The triple jump, which is sometimes called the hop, skip and jump, requires explosive leg strength — which Wilson has in abundance. Per IAAF rules: the hop shall be made so that an athlete lands first on the same foot as that from which he has taken off; in the step he shall land on the other foot, from which, subsequently, the jump is performed.

The 360˚ experience of Wilson’s triple jump technique can be viewed in Chrome or Firefox — use your mouse to view the footage from different perspectives. Or, if you are on a mobile device, download the YouTube app.