He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1994 NFL draft.
His football coach at Stivers Intermediate School, Albert Powell, gave Wilkinson the nickname "Big Daddy", after convincing him to play defensive line instead of fullback.
Lining up next to Alonzo Spellman during his sophomore year, Wilkinson earned All-Big Ten honors after he had 46 tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, and 6.5 sacks.
Along with running back Marshall Faulk and quarterbacks Heath Shuler and Trent Dilfer, Wilkinson was regarded as "one of the four players who rank well above the others in this draft".
[9] While in training camp, Bengals coaches compared Wilkinson to All-Pro offensive tackle Anthony Muñoz in terms of talent.
Wilkinson suffered a neck injury against the Chicago Bears on December 10 and was inactive for the final two games of the season.
He was awarded the team's defensive game ball for his play in Cincinnati's victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 23.
The remarks caused owner Mike Brown to act, and on February 26, 1998, Wilkinson was traded to the Washington Redskins.
[13] That same week, the Redskins had also acquired the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Dana Stubblefield, from the San Francisco 49ers.
He made a season-high four tackles on two occasions, at the Dallas Cowboys and at Pittsburgh Steelers in consecutive weeks in mid-December.
While Wilkinson did not post entirely impressive statistics in 2001, he made key blocks allowing other defensive players to make big plays while also contributing in other ways.
His pass deflection on second-and-goal led to an interception by Otis Leverette on the one-yard line and ended a critical scoring threat by the Carolina Panthers on October 21.
Although he posted no stats in the game, Wilkinson's pressure helped hold Philadelphia's offense to only 186 total yards.
The team wanted him to take a pay cut, since they considered Wilkinson's team-high $3.5 million salary "too much" for a player who had a career-low 17 tackles and no sacks in 2002.
Wilkinson received interest from the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New England Patriots and approximately four other organizations.
His best game of the season came against the Green Bay Packers on November 27 with a sack of Brett Favre, his first fumble recovery of 2003, two quarterback pressures and a season-high six tackles (four solos).
Despite modest statistics (24 tackles and two sacks), Wilkinson made a significant impact on the Lions' run defense.
Wilkinson forced a fumble and sacked Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb for a seven-yard loss against Philadelphia on September 26.
His sack in the first quarter for nine yards prevented the Browns from reaching the end zone, and forced a field goal attempt.
He recorded his first career safety after punter Nick Harris downed a punt on the 2-yard line against the Arizona Cardinals on November 13.
The two parties negotiated on a contract, but Wilkinson preferred to not sign until later so as not to go through the rigors of an entire training camp at his age.
Wilkinson played in a reserve role most of the season behind Keith Traylor and Jeff Zgonina, battling nagging injuries and dealing with a lawsuit which caused him to miss time.
Wilkinson failed to contact either team, and while deadlines for him to report were extended during the offseason, the trade fell through and was voided on March 31.
[19] In March 2006, Capital Centre LLC, a joint project headed by the Cordish Company and Washington Sports & Entertainment, sued Wilkinson.