Going into Saturday's football game at Wallace Wade Stadium between Duke and Northwestern, inquiring minds want to know whether or not Jason Wright will be healthy.
Last week, Wright, the starting running back and main offensive threat for the Wildcats, had to leave the game early with a sore hamstring, resulting in a 44-14 lose to Miami of Ohio. But when asked if he will play this week he emphatically said, "Absolutely! I'm all better and ready to go."
"They're talking about him being back [from the injury]," Blue Devil head coach Carl Franks said. "I think he'll be back. He's a strong guy. He's a powerful runner. He breaks tackles...elusive. I wouldn't say he's the only guy [I'm worried about against Northwestern], but he's certainly one of them."
Wright, a senior from Diamond Bar, Cal., has truly been the key to the Wildcats' offense the last two years. As both a running back and a kick returner, Wright earned Big Ten first-team honors for offense and special teams in 2002. Also, Wright led Northwestern in rushing yards and closed out the season with seven 100-yard rushing games.
The road to college football success has been a long one, filled with many physical and mental obstacles, which he has conquered just like he scores touchdowns, by lowering his shoulder and running right up the middle.
In high school, Wright was one of the top running backs hailing from Southern California. During his tenure at Diamond Bar High School, Wright led the team to two CIF football championships, while also earning the highly distinguished title of CIF offensive player of the year--along with his being named to first-team All-California. With his success, Wright landed himself a scholarship to go to play for the Wildcats.
But weighing only 184 pounds, Wright admits that there was no way he could have been an effective running back during his freshman and sophomore years of college. Thus, he was moved to wide receiver where he had to learn a completely unfamiliar position.
"We recruited him as a running back and we knew we needed him," said Northwestern head coach Randy Walker to Chicago Sun-Times. But being in Damien Anderson's shadow his first two years of college, Wright had no chance of becoming starting tailback. "So I put Jason somewhere he could play," said Walker.
"I was disappointed but I was still excited to being play college ball," Wright said. "I worked very hard to become a good wide receiver."
During his first two years, Wright struggled as a receiver but would not give up, continuing to work hard both in practice and in the weight room. As a result, he improved as a receiver and bulked up to 224 pounds. Going into his junior season, Wright returned to the running back position. With this golden opportunity, he said, "I did my best to take advantage."
Last year, was a phenomenal season for Wright. He finished the year averaging 102.8 yards per game. His best performance came against Indiana, a game in which he scored four rushing touchdowns and obliterated the Hoosier defense with 285 all-purpose yards. Due to his consistent performance throughout last year, Wright was named
Northwestern's Most Valuable Player, as well as being named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week three times.
"If you put a label on Northwestern Football, it'd be Jason Wright," head coach Randy Walker told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Looking back on his first two years of college, Wright sees how he has changed both physically and mentally as a player.
"I am more of a downhill runner now," Wright said. "I play much better physical football. Instead of running to the outside, I tuck it in and charge down the middle."
But like all great running backs, he refuses to take all the credit for his success.
"Most of the credit has to go to my guys up front, without them, I would not do well at all."
In addition to last year's success running the ball, Wright excelled as the Wildcats' primary kick returner as evidenced by his being named the first-team All-Big Ten kick returner and ranking fourth nationally in kickoff return average (28.5 yards per kick).
"Kick returning is my favorite part of the game," said Wright, who last year ran a kickoff back 100 yards for a score.
Besides his excellence on the athletic field, Wright finds tremendous success in the classroom--he is a true scholar-athlete. In fact, the reason he chose Northwestern was because, "It was the best combination of academics and athletics." As a result of his hard work both on and off the field, Wright has won numerous scholar-athlete awards, including an Academic All-Big Ten selection and being named a Verizon Academic All-American, a distinction that pleasantly surprised Wright. "I was very surprised [but] I have always worked hard at both my studies and my athletics, it is definitely my most proud accomplishment," Wright said.
Wright hopes to be able to go to medical school after graduating from Northwestern with a degree in Psychology.
Until then, Wright's focus will be his final season for the Wildcats. Despite struggling to a 3-9 season last year, Wright sees a bright future for Northwestern football.
"Over the summer, we were sick of losing," he said. "We decided to refocus on football. We decided we wanted to play only for each other and nobody else. We are now much closer as a team and ready to win."
A change in attitude was definitely seen during Northwestern's season opener against Kansas. Leading only 21-20 with 5:03 remaining in the half, Northwestern let Wright carry them to victory.
"He was huge," said Wildcats' quarterback Brett Basanez to the Chicago Sun-Times. "He won the game for us when we needed to run out the clock."
The two games following the Kansas victory have not gone Northwestern's way. Coming off consecutive losses to Air Force, by only one point, and Miami of Ohio, the Wildcats hope to change things this Saturday against Duke.
"Duke is a good challenge, we barely pulled out a win last year and we know they will want revenge," he said.
"I will need to be more physical against Duke. They are a very quick team on defense and very aggressive. They are very hungry for wins, especially having won two in a row. It should be a great game."
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