was 12 years old, his father was diagnosed with cancer. His father fought the disease for five years before dying while Wilson was attending Londonderry High School; Wilson today says he had to become a man when his father was diagnosed. In a 2011 story, ESPN.com writer Elizabeth Merrill said about Wilson's high school years, "He was an honor roll student at Londonderry, but clashed with various authority figures who didn't appreciate his occasional lack of a filter." In the same story, a number of Londonderry faculty speculated that some teachers didn't understand Wilson's life situation at the time. Art Psaledas, an assistant principal at the school, added, "It happened at probably the worst time anybody could lose your dad. Watching his dad deteriorate over the years was probably the singular thing that formed his personality." High school career Bob Napolitano, Wilson's coach at Londonderry High School, noticed Wilson's ability to concentrate on baseball. Napolitano specifically remembered the first home game of Wilson's senior year, which happened shortly after his father's death. No fewer than 29 professional scouts, all with radar guns, showed up to see him pitch. According to Napolitano, Wilson was completely oblivious to their appearance; he ate and drank in the dugout, warmed up, and pitched a two-hitter while apparently not noticing that scouts were there. The Cleveland Indians offered him a contract straight out of high school, but he did not sign, opting to attend college instead. College career After a coach saw Wilson pitch well at a tournament in California, he was offered a scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU), where he played for the LSU Tigers baseball team, eventually becoming their No. 2 starter. In his time at LSU, Wilson pitched in 51 games (22 starts) and accumulated 18 wins, 10 losses, and five saves. In 2002, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Hyannis Mets of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He was in the middle of his third season on March 28, 2003, when he injured his elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery. He also played for the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a summer league for collegiate prospects. Despite facing extensive rehabilitation, Wilson chose to enter the 2003 Major League Baseball draft. Professional career Minor leagues Coming off his surgery, Wilson was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 24th round in 2003. He began