On Saturday night, we witnessed one of the premier college football games of the season. Two of the best teams in the country — the Georgia Bulldogs and the Alabama Crimson Tide — faced off in an epic prime-time battle.

Referees missed what might have been a pass interference call against Georgia near the end of the game. I’m not going to argue it in this piece since we don’t know if the call would’ve affected the outcome of the game, but fans will debate it for years to come (just ask any Georgia fan if Tyler Simmons was offside). 

Suffice it to say that Alabama fans weren’t happy with how the game ended. Bama fans threw objects onto the field after the game, and it was bad enough that Georgia’s coaches told players to put their helmets back on as they ran back into the tunnel.

Then there was one particularly disturbing moment when an Alabama fan grabbed the helmet of Georgia inside linebacker Raylen Wilson and shoved him after the game. Photojournalist Reggie Chatman (one of the nicest guys in the business) captured the incident:

Another video gives us more context, as you can see the fan move closer to the players to be able to go after one of them:

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To his credit, Wilson didn’t respond in kind. Instead, he stayed quiet and refused to retaliate. That may have been in part because he was confused about the fan’s intentions.

Side note: I missed it yesterday, but Monday was the 15th anniversary of the first piece I wrote here at PJ Media. It was also a sports article, so it was appropriate, or maybe even providential, to mention it today.

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Wilson absolutely did the right thing, and that’s because his parents raised him right. Born into a family full of athletes, Wilson learned the discipline, focus, and toughness that characterize elite athletes. His two other brothers played college football, while his sister ran track.

His father was a demanding coach for his kids. Raylen has described early-morning workouts starting in elementary school, with his dad driving behind him and his siblings for miles before school. However, Robert Wilson died from complications following a stroke in 2020. He was 46; Raylen was only 15.

Wilson has emerged as a leader on the Bulldogs’ formidable defense, and his teammates describe him as a hard worker who is fun to be around. And Saturday demonstrated that he's also an excellent sport — even if a little initial confusion saved him.

"I don't know that you can predict to make good decisions and do things the right way," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart told the media on Monday. "Raylen certainly did there. There's so much that goes into that and he thought it was a Georgia fan. Probably helped react the way he did initially. You know, disappointing behavior by any fan, and certainly nothing we condone. I'm sure Alabama doesn't condone it either."

Alabama’s athletic department released a statement as well:

Sometimes, for an athlete, how you respond after the game says as much about you as your actions during the game. Raylen Wilson revealed himself to be as much of a class act on the sidelines as he is a fierce competitor between the yard lines. Good for him.