Abraham Wright
Encyclopedia
Abraham Winston Wright is a Canadian football
defensive end
who plays for BC Lions
for the Canadian Football League
. He was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Colorado
.
at defensive end
and linebacker for Southeast High School
in Oklahoma City
, Oklahoma. As a senior, he earned first-team All-District honors with 110 tackles, including 14 for losses and 7.5 quarterback sack
s. In a game against Guymon High School as a senior, he had eight tackles, a sack an interception which preserved the close win.
in Miami, Oklahoma
. He redshirted in 2002 while he made the transition from linebacker to defensive end. In 2003, Wright had 68 tackles (38 solo), with 14 tackles for loss including eight quarterback sacks and a pass defensed. He helped NEO to a 10-2 record, the Southwest Junior College Football Conference
championship and a No. 11 national ranking. In a 34-20 win over Blinn College
he recorded six tackles and three sacks.
Wright was named to SuperPrep’s JUCO Top 100 List, ranked as the No. 62 JUCO player overall, and the No. 5 defensive end. Rivals.com named him as the 59th best non-high school prospect.
, and his first multi-sack game came against Kansas
. He set a season-high with five tackles against Kansas State
.
In 2005, Wright started all 13 games including the Champ Sports Bowl at defensive end. On the year, he accumulated 27 tackles (19 solo), five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He earned CU athlete of the week and lineman of the week honors for a game against Oklahoma State, in which he totaled four solo tackles, a sack, an interception, a caused interception, a forced fumbled and a third-down stop. He reached a season high four tackles on three occasions, and had three tackles in the team's bowl game against Clemson
.
Entering his senior season, Wright was on the preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award
, given to the nation's top defensive end, and was also on the official preseason All-America
watch list by the Football Writer’s Association of America. He played in all 12 games in 2006, taking part in the second most defensive snaps of any player on the team and the most for all non-defensive backs. On the year, he had a career high 57 tackles (39 solo) along with 11.5 sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, a forced fumbled and three pass break-ups. His sack total lead the team and was nine sacks higher than anyone else on the squad in 2006. Wright's season highlights included a six-tackle performance in the opener against Montana State
, two sacks against Baylor
and a personal best three sacks against rival Colorado State
.
. The picked used to select Wright had been acquired earlier in the offseason in the trade that sent wide receiver
Wes Welker
to the New England Patriots
.
Wright spent much of the 2007 season on injured reserve
with an injury. He was waived by the Dolphins on May 5, 2008.
on October 14, 2009. He has been invited to the Lions' 2010 Training Camp in Kamloops.
in the summer of 2004, and has a genuine interest in working with the deaf once his playing days are over.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who plays for BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
for the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was originally drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
.
Early years
Wright was a three-year letterman and starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
and linebacker for Southeast High School
Southeast High School (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)
Southeast High School is a high school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that opened in 1950. The school closed in 1990, but was reopened and remodeled in 1994 as a magnet school with an emphasis on four technology programs offered at the school...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
, Oklahoma. As a senior, he earned first-team All-District honors with 110 tackles, including 14 for losses and 7.5 quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s. In a game against Guymon High School as a senior, he had eight tackles, a sack an interception which preserved the close win.
Northeast Oklahoma A&M
Prior to attending Colorado, Wright played one season at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M CollegeNortheastern Oklahoma A&M College
Located in the small former mining town of Miami, Oklahoma, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, commonly referred to as NEO, is a two-year community college with programs in Agriculture, Livestock Judging, Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, Theatre, Social Science, and a variety of other...
in Miami, Oklahoma
Miami, Oklahoma
Miami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...
. He redshirted in 2002 while he made the transition from linebacker to defensive end. In 2003, Wright had 68 tackles (38 solo), with 14 tackles for loss including eight quarterback sacks and a pass defensed. He helped NEO to a 10-2 record, the Southwest Junior College Football Conference
Southwest Junior College Football Conference
The Southwest Junior College Football Conference is a football conference for NJCAA teams located in the southwest United States. The conference has produced 5 of the last 15 NJCAA national champions.-Current members:-Former members:...
championship and a No. 11 national ranking. In a 34-20 win over Blinn College
Blinn College
Blinn College is a two-year academic institution based in Brenham, Texas with campuses in Brenham, Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. While the Brenham campus is Blinn's main campus, more than 70% of students attend the Bryan campus....
he recorded six tackles and three sacks.
Wright was named to SuperPrep’s JUCO Top 100 List, ranked as the No. 62 JUCO player overall, and the No. 5 defensive end. Rivals.com named him as the 59th best non-high school prospect.
University of Colorado
After transferring the University of Colorado in 2004, Wright appeared in all 13 games as a sophomore and started the final three regular season contests. On the year, he recorded 23 tackles (17 solo), tying for second on the team in quarterback sacks with 4.5 and had six tackle for a loss. He also had six pressures, which was good for second best on the team. His first career sack came against Washington StateWashington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
, and his first multi-sack game came against Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. He set a season-high with five tackles against Kansas State
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
.
In 2005, Wright started all 13 games including the Champ Sports Bowl at defensive end. On the year, he accumulated 27 tackles (19 solo), five sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. He earned CU athlete of the week and lineman of the week honors for a game against Oklahoma State, in which he totaled four solo tackles, a sack, an interception, a caused interception, a forced fumbled and a third-down stop. He reached a season high four tackles on three occasions, and had three tackles in the team's bowl game against Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
.
Entering his senior season, Wright was on the preseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award
Ted Hendricks Award
The Ted Hendricks Award is given annually to college football's top defensive end. The award is named after Ted Hendricks, who is a member of both the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is presented by his own 501 foundation, called the Ted Hendricks...
, given to the nation's top defensive end, and was also on the official preseason All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
watch list by the Football Writer’s Association of America. He played in all 12 games in 2006, taking part in the second most defensive snaps of any player on the team and the most for all non-defensive backs. On the year, he had a career high 57 tackles (39 solo) along with 11.5 sacks, 17 quarterback pressures, a forced fumbled and three pass break-ups. His sack total lead the team and was nine sacks higher than anyone else on the squad in 2006. Wright's season highlights included a six-tackle performance in the opener against Montana State
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montana State University – Bozeman is a public university located in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's land-grant university and primary campus in the Montana State University System, which is part of the Montana University System...
, two sacks against Baylor
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
and a personal best three sacks against rival Colorado State
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
Miami Dolphins
Wright was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
. The picked used to select Wright had been acquired earlier in the offseason in the trade that sent wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Wes Welker
Wes Welker
-San Diego Chargers :Welker, who was not drafted during the 2004 NFL Draft, signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. Welker made the Chargers out of training camp, but was released after the first game of the season.-2004 season:...
to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Wright spent much of the 2007 season on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
with an injury. He was waived by the Dolphins on May 5, 2008.
Career transactions
- April 29, 2007: Drafted by the Dolphins in the seventh round (238th overall) of the 2007 NFL Draft.
- November 7, 2007: Placed on season-ending injured reserveInjured reserveThe injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
with a knee injury. - May 5, 2008: Waived by the Dolphins.
BC Lions
Wright signed a practice roster agreement with the BC LionsBC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
on October 14, 2009. He has been invited to the Lions' 2010 Training Camp in Kamloops.
Personal
Wright began learning sign languageSign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
in the summer of 2004, and has a genuine interest in working with the deaf once his playing days are over.