Russell Wilson Mourns Death of Grandfather Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr., 95

Russell Wilson is mourning the death of his grandfather, Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr., who was the second president at Norfolk State University for more than two decades. He was 95.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback took to social media to announce Dr. Harrison’s death. “Going to miss you Grandpa,” he captioned a photo of the educator. “This is my Grandfather whose [sic] no longer with us. Dr. Harrison B. Wilson Jr. He was an educator, a mentor, a college basketball coach, and the second President at Norfolk State University a HBCU from 1975-1997. Love you. #BeholdTheGreenandGold.”

Fans immediately flooded the football player’s mentions with condolences for his late grandfather, with some even sharing their own memories of him.

Virginia congressman Bobby Scott also mourned Dr. Harrison’s death, taking to Twitter Sunday afternoon.

“I was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Harrison B. Wilson. He was a renowned basketball coach, educator, and long-time president of Norfolk State University,” Scott wrote. “His tenure at NSU was marked by significant growth and his passion for excellence helped increase the university’s stature as a premier institution of higher education in Virginia. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dr. Lucy Wilson, his children, grandchildren, and the countless students positively impacted by his life and work.”

Old Dominion University, where Dr. Harrison’s wife, Lucy, worked, also expressed grievances in a statement on Twitter.

Dr. Harrison was a star athlete at Kentucky State University in the 1940s before going on to coach basketball at Jackson State in the 1950s, where he led his teams to a 340-72 overall record, HBCU Gameday reports. He transitioned to administration, and in 1975 became the president of Norfolk State College, where he stayed until 1997. During those two decades, the school flourished athletically and academically.

Photo credit: Otto Greule Jr / Stringer / Getty