A former Arizona Wildcat could be a โJeopardy!โ clue one day.
โThis Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and winner of the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy was drafted by the NFL, AAF, XFL and USFL.โ
โWho is Scooby Wright?โ
Earlier this week, Wright โ a former Wildcats linebacker โ was drafted by the USFL, an eight-team professional football league thatโs set to kick off in April. Wright, who was taken by the Birmingham Stallions, was one of three former Wildcats chosen. Cornerback Lorenzo Burns (Birmingham Stallions) and wide receiver Shawn Poindexter (New Orleans Breakers) were the others. Former UA head coach Kevin Sumlin will lead the Houston Gamblers this season.
Itโs another chance to make it in the pros for Wright. The Cleveland Browns selected Wright in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he played two seasons in the league for both Cleveland and the Arizona Cardinals.
Wright then played in the upstart AAF (Arizona Hotshots) and XFL (DC Defenders) before taking up jiujitsu and becoming a firefighter in Northern Californiaโs Sonoma County.
โIโm in the best shape Iโve ever been in. Iโm healthy and excited,โ Wright said.
Wright joined ESPN Tucsonโs โSpears and Aliโ this week to discuss his endless passion for football, how mixed martial arts helped his on-field production, and playing up the road from his former UA coach.
How do you look back on your time as a football player?
A: โIโm going to keep playing as long as Iโm having fun. And Iโm still having fun, so Iโm going to stay after it.โ
How did you find out Birmingham drafted you?
A: โI got a phone call from one of their coaches asking if I was still playing or if there were some other things I was doing. He was just making sure if I was playing or not. He said I was their No. 1 guy on their list and that they were going to draft me if I was there. I was there, so Iโm just excited for this opportunity.โ
Is it true your mother found out you were drafted before you?
A: โYeah, my mom was watching the tracker on the USFL Twitter (account). My mom was like, โCongrats, youโve been drafted,โ so that was kind of funny. My mom found out before me, so that was a cool moment.โ
With training for jiujitsu and training to become a firefighter during your post-XFL career, you lost weight; are you putting on weight to play inside linebacker or would you be willing to switch positions?
A: โNo, Iโm still going to play linebacker. About two weeks ago when I was getting ready for a big jiujitsu tournament, I competed at 215 (pounds), so I was already walking around at 215. Iโve just cut back on the cardio a bit more and now Iโm walking around at 220. Iโll probably be playing at either 220 or 225, and just be mobile, fast and explosive. Thatโs how I think Iโm going to be playing.โ
It appeared your football career was over considering your other endeavors. โฆ Why do you still want to play?
A: โI always knew that if the opportunity came about, Iโd probably be really interested in it. This is a great opportunity and Iโm in the best shape Iโve ever been in. After talking to the fire captain at the place I volunteer at, he said, โScooby, you can be a firefighter until youโre 57 years old, and if you want to go play football or whatever, itโs not going to matter in the big scheme of things.โ And then for the mixed-martial arts, I gotta cut down on that, and thatโs the downside of all this, but I truly believe that made me a better football player. Iโm going to take all the things Iโve picked up during the transition and put it back on the football field and get after it.โ
How does MMA help your football career?
A: โJust leverage, learning how to use your hands, learning different angles. You learn how to truly tackle somebody and how to get somebody on the ground.โ
Did you stay connected to football?
A: โYeah, there would be times where Iโm watching college football games or pro football with my dad or fiancee and Iโd be calling out plays in my head, โOK, this is whatโs coming.โ I always study the game and I canโt just watch the game just to watch it. Iโm always analyzing it, so that side never went away. If anything, Iโve matured more and Iโm in a way better head space than I was a couple years ago. I feel like Iโve found my grown-man strength.โ
Which of the previous professional football leagues did you enjoy the most?
A: โProbably the XFL, because they had hard seltzers in the locker room when you won, so that was good. Iโm dead serious, too. Youโd walk into the locker room after winning a game and thereโd be four or five coolers filled with Coors Light or Bud Light. Next thing you know, youโd be shotgunning a drink with your coach.โ
Your former coach at Arizona, Rich Rodriguez, is the new head at Jacksonville State, which is about a 90-minute drive from Birmingham; do you plan on reuniting with RichRod?
A: โI was texting him this morning. He said once I get settled in, weโre going to make sure we have dinner down there, so thatโs really cool.โ
Does the USFL give you any hope that this league can last longer than the other short-lived professional football leagues?
A: โThatโs the comical part: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I donโt know, weโll find out whatโs about to happen the third time. โฆ No regrets, Iโm not trying to look back when Iโm 50 and wish I wouldโve done this or done that. Iโm just going to send it.โ
