In the first regular season game of his NFL career, former Virginia Tech Hokies football and track standout David Wilson fumbled. He was devastated.

Head coach Tom Coughlin relegated the rookie to kickoff return duty for the next 12 games, where the rookie excelled, registering 1,094 return yards, which ranked No. 1 in the entire NFL.

Today, vs. the New Orleans Saints, Coughlin let Wilson out of the dog house and turned the talented and charismatic tailback loose. Wilson was ready. The 2012 first-round pick made his coach, and thousands of Giants fans very happy.

Wilson scored three touchdowns and registered 327 total yards as the Giants scored 17 fourth quarter points to blow open a close game en route to a 52-27 beat down of Drew Brees and the Saints.

Trailing 7-0 five minutes into the game, Wilson fielded the ensuing kickoff at his own three yard line and blew by everyone and sprinted up the right sideline, untouched, for a 97-yard return for a score. The extra point tied the game at seven.

Wilson added a 6-yard TD run in the third quarter and 52-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. The league’s leading kickoff returner added another 227 return yards to his season total.

The rookie also registered 13 carries for 100 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game as an NFL player. Coming into today’s game, he had 111 yards rushing for the season.

The Giants are in first place in the NFC East at 8-6, just one game ahead of the surging Washington Redskins, who defeated Baltimore in overtime today to improve to 7-6.

According to ELIAS, Wilson is the first player in NFL history to have 200+ return yards and 100 yards rushing in a single game.

The rest of the NFL is now on notice as the defending Super Bowl champs unveiled a new offensive weapon today. His name is David Wilson.

(Photos by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)