Ex-Wildcat Scooby Wright ready to give pro football one more shot — this time in USFL

A former Arizona Wildcat could be a “Jeopardy!” clue one day.

“This 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.”

“Who is Scooby Wright?”

Earlier this week, Wright — a former Wildcats linebacker — was drafted by the USFL, an eight-team professional football league that’s 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.

It’s 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 California’s Sonoma County.

“I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I’m healthy and excited,” Wright said.

Wright joined ESPN Tucson’s “Spears and Ali” 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: “I’m going to keep playing as long as I’m having fun. And I’m still having fun, so I’m going to stay after it.”

How did you find out Birmingham drafted you?

A: “I 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 I’m just excited for this opportunity.”

Is it true your mother found out you were drafted before you?

A: “Yeah, my mom was watching the tracker on the USFL Twitter (account). My mom was like, ‘Congrats, you’ve been drafted,’ so that was kind of funny. My mom found out before me, so that was a cool moment.”

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

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: “No, I’m 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. I’ve just cut back on the cardio a bit more and now I’m walking around at 220. I’ll probably be playing at either 220 or 225, and just be mobile, fast and explosive. That’s how I think I’m going to be playing.”

It appeared your football career was over considering your other endeavors. … Why do you still want to play?

A: “I always knew that if the opportunity came about, I’d probably be really interested in it. This is a great opportunity and I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in. After talking to the fire captain at the place I volunteer at, he said, ‘Scooby, you can be a firefighter until you’re 57 years old, and if you want to go play football or whatever, it’s not going to matter in the big scheme of things.’ And then for the mixed-martial arts, I gotta cut down on that, and that’s the downside of all this, but I truly believe that made me a better football player. I’m going to take all the things I’ve picked up during the transition and put it back on the football field and get after it.”

How does MMA help your football career?

A: “Just 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.”

Did you stay connected to football?

A: “Yeah, there would be times where I’m watching college football games or pro football with my dad or fiancee and I’d be calling out plays in my head, ‘OK, this is what’s coming.’ I always study the game and I can’t just watch the game just to watch it. I’m always analyzing it, so that side never went away. If anything, I’ve matured more and I’m in a way better head space than I was a couple years ago. I feel like I’ve found my grown-man strength.”

Which of the previous professional football leagues did you enjoy the most?

A: “Probably the XFL, because they had hard seltzers in the locker room when you won, so that was good. I’m dead serious, too. You’d walk into the locker room after winning a game and there’d be four or five coolers filled with Coors Light or Bud Light. Next thing you know, you’d be shotgunning a drink with your coach.”

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: “I was texting him this morning. He said once I get settled in, we’re going to make sure we have dinner down there, so that’s really cool.”

Does the USFL give you any hope that this league can last longer than the other short-lived professional football leagues?

A: “That’s the comical part: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I don’t know, we’ll find out what’s about to happen the third time. … No regrets, I’m not trying to look back when I’m 50 and wish I would’ve done this or done that. I’m just going to send it.”