Major Wright: Doing the Wright Stuff
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 | Football
By Ben Schlesselman, UF Sports Information
It wasn't quite the start of the Revolutionary War but it was certainly the “shot heard 'round the world.” Unlike what is found in the history books, there was no anonymity to who delivered the blow.
The blow that registered ratings that the Richter Scale can only hope to measure as the frequencies reverberated across the entire length of the Florida practice field during a fall session and sent freshman running back Chris Rainey flying into a different time dimension was courtesy of freshman Major Wright.
Wright's hit has become epic, borderline legendary, and has turned into a catalyst behind a young defense that has stifled opponents through the first four games of the year.
It was that hit that paved the way for Wright to become the first true freshman to have his black stripe removed during the preseason workouts, a sign from head coach Urban Meyer that he made enough progress to earn the right to compete for playing time. Despite his rapid progression, he remains humble and gives the credit to the team for what it has accomplished this year.
“My job is to come out and make plays for the team,” Wright said. “I'm satisfied with my progression but the team as a whole is coming together and that's something not found on the stat sheet.”
Regardless of the ramifications that may have resulted from his hit, Wright has made the strides expected and is on regular patrol in the Gators' young secondary. In his first two games, Wright recorded four tackles each against Western Kentucky and Troy and countered those performances with a career-high six stops against Tennessee, along with a pass breakup.
“We've been playing hard and we've been able to win our first four games,” Wright said. “My teammates and the coaches have been prepared and that translates into success on the field.”
Wright certainly had his option of where he wanted to go to school, being courted heavily by Ohio State, Miami and Notre Dame. Ultimately the decision to choose the Gators came down to proximity and the program prestige that the Orange and Blue had to offer him. Wright received extensive playing time in his first SEC game against Tennessee and marveled at the atmosphere.
“When I came down on my official visit, it was against LSU,” Wright said. “It's so hard to describe what stepping onto the field against Tennessee meant. I thought the crowd was loud then, but it's too hard to say which game was louder. Both games were amazing to me.”
Florida safeties' coach Doc Holliday knows what kind of player he has in Wright and relishes the opportunity to work with someone of his caliber.
“He is as good a kid as you are going to get,” Holliday said. “He loves to practice and study at team meetings and he also does a good job in the classroom. He is going to be a special player for us for some time to come. He is learning and, although he has an awful lot still to learn, he is a super guy. I am excited about his future.”
Wright comprised one half of arguably the top safety tandem recruited in the Class of 2007, the other being Warren Central safety Jerimy Finch from Indianapolis. In his first year at Florida, Wright, a native of Miramar, has displayed the ball-hawking skills and special teams prowess that made him one of the most coveted prospects in the country coming out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale.
Although Finch has made the seamless transition over to linebacker, Wright has found his home in the secondary and appears to be a mainstay. The eventual combination of Finch and Wright holding down the secondary could cause opposing offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night.
Wright has already proven that he has the characteristics Gator fans salivate over; athletic skills, the ability to make plays and a knack for the big hit. Fast forward a few years down the road and people will open up their Florida football history books and know for sure who delivered the shot “heard 'round the world.”
-UF-
