There might not be a soul on the planet who has a better understanding about what the Jets are getting in their first-round draft pick, Kyle Wilson, than Dan Higgins — unless it’s Chris Peterson.
Higgins was Wilson’s football coach for four years at Piscataway High School, winning three consecutive New Jersey state championships in that span.
“He’s kind of reserved off the field, a real quiet, bright, well-thought-out kid,” Higgins told The Post yesterday. “But on the field he plays real violent. He’s almost like a split personality. When he gets onto the field he’s a totally different guy — real violent, real aggressive, real physical, ultra-competitive.”
Peterson, the Boise State head coach, saw the same split personality in Wilson when he came to him as a freshman.
“He plays like a guy who has the attitude that every player he plays against somehow did him wrong, and he’s irritated about it,” Peterson told The Post yesterday. “He had that from the second he came here. Certain guys just have it and he’s one of those guys.
“I believe he has all the intangibles to be a great pro — the competitiveness, the desire to be great, the maturity.”
Boise State defensive backs coach Marcel Yates is looking forward to how Wilson develops with the Jets.
“It’s kind of scary to think how good Kyle can be as a pro now that he’ll be playing football as a job and not having to go to school,” Yates said.
Higgins breathlessly watched the NFL Draft on Thursday night as Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis, who was Wilson’s teammate on the Piscataway High team, was picked by the 49ers with the 11th pick in the first round. Last year, the Saints drafted one of Higgins’ former receivers, Malcolm Jenkins, in the first round.
So it has been quite a ride for Higgins, who works the overnight shift as a beat cop patrolling the streets of Piscataway four nights a week.
He said he couldn’t sleep on Thursday night after the Jets drafted Wilson with the 29th pick, because he was so stoked about what he called the “perfect marriage” between the former Boise State cornerback/punt returner and the Jets.
“I was so excited. . . . It felt like we won a championship,” Higgins said. “You can’t even put it into words. To see it happen on the big screen, even though [Wilson and Davis] were projected to go in the first round, when it did occur it was an overwhelming feeling.”
Much of what excites Higgins is how perfect the Jets are for Wilson because of coach Rex Ryan.
“It’s a great marriage,” Higgins said. “I was thrilled when I saw the Jets pick him because of the way Rex plays defense and allows his corners to play aggressively. Kyle fits that role perfectly. He wants to be aggressive and wants to take risks. The fit is so perfect and the personality fits, too.
Wilson, returned three punts for touchdowns at Boise State and he took two of his 11 college interceptions to the house as well.
“Every time he touched the ball you held your breath,” Higgins said, “because he had the burst speed to take it the distance.”
Higgins, who has been coaching at Piscataway for 20 years (the last seven as the head coach), recalled Wilson’s “marquee moment” in his last high school game, when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime to beat Phillipsburg at Rutgers Stadium for the 2004 state championship.
“He split double coverage on a skinny post took it to the house to win our third straight state championship game,” Higgins recalled. “That play defines the player he is. It was third-and-long and they knew we were passing the ball. The pass was thrown high and he scooped it right out of the air like it was nothing.
“That was a defining moment.”
Higgins is positive there will be more big moments like that for Wilson, now in the capable hands of Ryan.
“He’s going to be a good pro, continue to be an impact player — not necessarily just as a shutdown corner, but he’ll make his presence known on special teams as well,” Higgins said. “I can’t wait to see how good he becomes, because the Jets are going to fuel the fire that he ends. That’s what he’s looking for. That’s what they’re going to get.”