Manuel Wright
| No. 75 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | April 13, 1984 Compton, California, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 345 lb (156 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Long Beach Polytechnic (Long Beach, California) | ||||
| College: | USC | ||||
| Supplemental draft: | 2005 / Round: 5 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
| |||||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
Manuel Wright (born April 13, 1984) is a former
Early years
Wright earned various team, local and national honors as a member of the football team at Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California. As a junior in 2000, Wright recorded 95 tackles (57 solo) and with 25 sacks. As a senior, Wright was the team's defensive MVP after recording 142 tackles (60 solo), 16 sacks, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, 20 deflections and an interception.
College career
Wright originally signed with USC in 2002 but did not qualify for admission, so he attended Long Beach City College that season as a part-time student. However, he did not play football there.
In 2003, Wright served as a backup for Defensive tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson. While appearing in nine games during the season, Wright recorded eight tackles, including two for losses and three pass deflections. His first career sack came against Michigan in the Rose Bowl.
Wright remained a backup to both Cody and Patterson as a sophomore in
Early departure
In
Professional career
Miami Dolphins
Leading up to the supplemental draft, many NFL teams showed interest in Wright in the form of visits, workouts and interviews. The
Wright endured injuries and battled weight issues during his first training camp while his work ethic and maturity were questioned by some. In a much publicized incident on July 26, Wright broke down in tears during practice after being scolded by head coach Nick Saban.[3]
As a
Wright reportedly gained 28 pounds during the 2006 offseason, but lost most of the weight during training camp. On August 8, a reportedly depressed Wright took a leave of absence from the team. He was quoted as saying he "did not believe he would ever play for the Dolphins again and that he needed a 'fresh start'".
Despite requests from his family and from Head coach Nick Saban, Wright remained away from football in 2006. The Dolphins attempted to trade him, unsuccessfully, but were unable to reach an agreement to release him. The team received a roster exemption for Wright in 2006 and he was placed on the non-football injury list.
Although Wright had returned to the team during the 2007 offseason under new head coach Cam Cameron, he was released on May 1.[4]
Buffalo Bills
On May 3, the Buffalo Bills claimed Wright on waivers.[5] Less than a week later, he was waived by the Bills. He told Chris Brown of the team's official website that he had 30 pounds to lose.[6] Wright was subsequently cut by the Bills on May 10 after showing up at the team's first minicamp overweight.[7]
New York Giants
Wright signed with the New York Giants on August 15, 2007. He appeared in six games during the regular season and recorded two tackles. He was also a member of the Giants' Super Bowl XLII championship team.
On April 10, 2008, the Giants waived Wright.
af2
In 2008 Wright joined the
See also
- List of University of Southern California people
- List of New York Giants players
- List of Miami Dolphins players
- List of National Football League and Arena football players
References
- ^ af2. May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009. [permanent dead link]
- ^ "2005 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
- ^ "Dolphins' Wright breaks down during workout". ESPN.com. July 27, 2005. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ Miami Herald [dead link]
- ^ "Bills claim former Dolphin DT Wright off waivers". ESPN.com. May 3, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Inside the Bills Homepage - Buffalo Bills". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "NFL News, Scores, Standings & Stats". FOX Sports. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
- ^ "Lightning Take Giant Step With Roster". StocktonLightning.com. Stockton Lightning. December 22, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2009.