He later played at the fullback position for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1949 and was the team's leading rusher each year from 1946 to 1948.
[6] In 1945, he helped lead the team to the 1945 Orange Bowl where Wilson had a 90-yard kickoff return in a 26-12 victory over Georgia Tech.
[7] And in 1946, he led Tulsa to an 8-2 record and scored the team's only touchdown in a loss to Georgia in the 1946 Oil Bowl.
[11][12] After the trade, Wilson retired from football, declining to move to New York and lose his regular job with a local steel company.
[15] After retiring as a player, Wilson worked as a personnel director at a steel plant and coached football at Detroit Catholic High School.