Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson remains hospitalized after being severely burned during an early morning fire on Jan. 6 at his home in a Pittsburgh suburb.
Wilson's family issued the following statement on his condition on Tuesday, Jan. 17:
"Mr. Kirby Wilson remains in critical condition in the Trauma Burn Center at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh. In addition to burns sustained over 45 percent of his body, he has suffered a smoke inhalation injury and will require multiple operative procedures in the future."
The 50-year-old Wilson, in his fifth season with the Steelers is an original member of Mike Tomlin's inaugural coaching staff.
Wilson is from Los Angeles, and he played running back and wide receiver at Illinois before playing briefly in the Canadian Football League. He had coached running backs with four different NFL teams – New England, Washington, Arizona and Tampa Bay – before coming to the Steelers when Tomlin hired him in 2007.
Wilson is known by all who work for the Steelers as a man with a ready smile and a pleasant demeanor regardless of the circumstances. As a coach, he is known to his players as a tireless worker and a high-energy guy who is demanding yet fair.
