As a 1998 graduate of Red River High School, Joe Wilson was a well-rounded student-athlete and leader. He earned varsity letters in football (2), basketball (2), and track & field (3), excelling across all three sports. On the football field, Joe was a dynamic quarterback and team captain. He earned All-Conference and All-State honors, was named Red River’s Most Valuable Offensive Player in both 1997 and 1998, and received All-City recognition. He was selected to compete in both the North Dakota Shrine Bowl and the KC’s North Dakota vs. Montana All-Star Game.  To this day, Joe ranks among the top five all-time in nearly every quarterback statistic at Red River, and he still holds the number one spot in passing yards per game, averaging just over 160 yards. On the court, he was a senior captain for the Roughrider basketball team, and in track & field, Joe was the 1996 state runner-up in the javelin before winning back-to-back state titles in 1997 and 1998. He was also a two-time East Region champion in the javelin, and his best throw of 192’6 ranks #5 on the school’s all-time old rules javelin list.  After high school, Joe competed in both football and track at the University of North Dakota. He was a four-time letter winner in track and a three-time letter winner in football as a quarterback. At UND, he was recognized as the team’s Unsung Hero, received the Marcus Bryant Award, and was an integral piece of the 2001 National Championship team. He remains one of the top-performing quarterbacks in postseason history, ranking in the top 10 in completions, passing yards, and touchdown passes, and holding the second best career completion percentage in program history.