Lawrence Wright (American football)
No. 42 | |
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Position: | North Miami (FL) |
College: | Florida |
Undrafted: | 1997 |
Career history | |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Career NFL statistics | |
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Lawrence D. Wright, III (born September 6, 1973) is an American former college and professional
Early years
Wright was born in
College career
Wright accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Steve Spurrier's Florida Gators football team from 1993 to 1996.[3] He led the Gators with 109 tackles as a junior in 1995.[3] During Wright's senior season in 1996, Wright was one of the team captains[3] and the Gators posted a 12–1 record and won the 1996 Bowl Alliance national championship by defeating the top-ranked Florida State Seminoles 52–20 in the 1997 Sugar Bowl.[4] That same year, he also won the Jim Thorpe Award, recognizing the best defensive back in college football,[5] and was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1995 and 1996.[3] He finished his Gator career with 331 tackles, five interceptions, eight forced fumbles and four fumbles recoveries.[5]
Wright was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll for four consecutive years, and was a CFA Scholar-Athlete in 1996.
Gators fans also remember Wright for leading the cheer "If you ain't a Gator, you must be Gator bait!" during a large celebration at
Professional career
Wright was undrafted in the
Life after football
After retiring from professional football, Wright formed a construction and real estate development company, Wright & Partners, in South Florida.
See also
- History of the Cincinnati Bengals
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
References
- ^ a b Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Lawrence Wright. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Lawrence Wright Archived February 19, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 3, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 97, 98, 99, 100–101, 125, 153–154, 186 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse, All-Time Coaching Records, Steve Spurrier 1996 Archived March 10, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b Jim Thorpe Association, Thorpe Award Winners, Lawrence Wright Archived December 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 7, 2012.
- ^ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
- ^ "Nine Members Inducted Into University of Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Archived September 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine," GatorZone.com (April 13, 2007). Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ Pat Dooley, "Past UF champs inspire and cheer on the Gators," The Gainesville Sun (January 13, 2007). Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ National Football League, Draft History, 1997. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
- ^ a b National Football League, Historical Players, Lawrence Wright. Retrieved May 24, 2010.
Bibliography
- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.