Alexander Wright (football player)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Wright is a former American football
wide receiver
in the National Football League
, two-time winner of the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition and current President and CEO for Alexander Wright Ministries in Amarillo, Texas
. His speed caused many to consider him to have great potential, but difficulties playing wide receiver led him to retire early.
at Auburn University
from 1986 to 1989, earning a Bachelor of Arts
in adult education
. While at Auburn, he caught 56 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set and still holds an Auburn record of 23.6 yards per reception.
by the Dallas Cowboys
in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft
, the first wide receiver to be chosen and the first pick of the round. He was intended to complement Emmitt Smith
, chosen in the first round. He did not perform as well as expected, however, and when later asked about his performance, he admitted "I was never a polished package." His chief talent was on special teams as a kick returner, in which capacity he scored both of his touchdowns with the Cowboys. On December 22, 1991, he set a Cowboys record, still standing, for longest play with a 102-yard kick return Wright was one of the fastest sprinters in the NFL, winning the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition in 1992 and 1993. In May 1991 he was recorded to have run the 40 yard dash
in 4.09 seconds. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders
(now the Oakland Raiders) in 1992 for a fourth-round draft pick when he still had no receptions following the first four games of the season.
His most productive season was in 1993 when he caught 27 passes for 462 yards. During the final game of the 1993 season and with the Raiders trailing the Denver Broncos 23-30, Wright caught the game tying touchdown pass from Jeff Hostetler
. The Raiders went on to win the game 33-30 and a the victory earned the Raiders a spot in the 1993 playoffs. Wright played his final two seasons with the St. Louis Rams
, then retired in 1996.
in sports management from Lindenwood University
. In 2002 he served as the interim head coach of the River City Renegades, a National Indoor Football League team. In 2003 he served as the wide receiver coach for Francis Howell Central High School
in St. Charles, MO. In 2004, he was the wide receiver coach for West Texas A&M University
. In 2005, he was hired to be the offensive coordinator at Greensboro College
. He was the offensive coordinator for Southwestern Assemblies of God University
. He is currently the Athletic Director and head football coach for San Jacinto Christian Academy in Amarillo, TX.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, two-time winner of the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition and current President and CEO for Alexander Wright Ministries in Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
. His speed caused many to consider him to have great potential, but difficulties playing wide receiver led him to retire early.
College career
Wright attended and played college footballCollege 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 Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
from 1986 to 1989, earning a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
. While at Auburn, he caught 56 passes for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns. He set and still holds an Auburn record of 23.6 yards per reception.
Professional career
Wright was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft
1990 NFL Draft
The 1990 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1990...
, the first wide receiver to be chosen and the first pick of the round. He was intended to complement Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
, chosen in the first round. He did not perform as well as expected, however, and when later asked about his performance, he admitted "I was never a polished package." His chief talent was on special teams as a kick returner, in which capacity he scored both of his touchdowns with the Cowboys. On December 22, 1991, he set a Cowboys record, still standing, for longest play with a 102-yard kick return Wright was one of the fastest sprinters in the NFL, winning the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition in 1992 and 1993. In May 1991 he was recorded to have run the 40 yard dash
40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
in 4.09 seconds. However, he was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(now the Oakland Raiders) in 1992 for a fourth-round draft pick when he still had no receptions following the first four games of the season.
His most productive season was in 1993 when he caught 27 passes for 462 yards. During the final game of the 1993 season and with the Raiders trailing the Denver Broncos 23-30, Wright caught the game tying touchdown pass from Jeff Hostetler
Jeff Hostetler
William Jeffrey Hostetler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. His nickname is "Hoss".-Penn State:...
. The Raiders went on to win the game 33-30 and a the victory earned the Raiders a spot in the 1993 playoffs. Wright played his final two seasons with the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, then retired in 1996.
Statistics
| Receiving | |Fumbles | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lng | Tot | OwR | Yds |
| 1990 | DAL | 15 | 11 | 104 | 9.5 | 0 | 20 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1991 | DAL | 16 | 10 | 170 | 17.0 | 0 | 53 | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1992 | DAL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | LAD | 10 | 12 | 175 | 14.6 | 2 | 41t | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 1993 | LAD | 15 | 27 | 462 | 17.1 | 4 | 68t | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 1994 | LAD | 16 | 16 | 294 | 18.4 | 2 | 76t | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 1995 | STL | 8 | 23 | 368 | 16.0 | 2 | 50 | 1 | 17 | 17.0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 1996 | STL | 3 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 7 seasons | 87 | 101 | 1597 | 15.8 | 10 | 76t | 6 | 42 | 7.0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
After football
In 1999, Wright earned the Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in sports management from Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University
Lindenwood University, often referred to as Lindenwood or LU, is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States...
. In 2002 he served as the interim head coach of the River City Renegades, a National Indoor Football League team. In 2003 he served as the wide receiver coach for Francis Howell Central High School
Francis Howell Central High School
Francis Howell Central High School is the third high school created in the Francis Howell School District. The school is located in Cottleville, Missouri, but a large part of its student population comes from its larger neighbor St. Peters...
in St. Charles, MO. In 2004, he was the wide receiver coach for West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University
West Texas A&M University , part of the Texas A&M University System, is a public university located in Canyon, Texas, a small city south of Amarillo. West Texas A&M opened on September 20, 1910...
. In 2005, he was hired to be the offensive coordinator at Greensboro College
Greensboro College
Greensboro College is a four-year, independent, coeducational liberal-arts college, also offering four master's degrees, located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1838...
. He was the offensive coordinator for Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Southwestern Assemblies of God University
Southwestern Assemblies of God University is a private Christian University located in Waxahachie, Texas, USA, near Dallas and Fort Worth. SAGU is regionally-accredited with the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and officially endorsed by the Assemblies of...
. He is currently the Athletic Director and head football coach for San Jacinto Christian Academy in Amarillo, TX.
External links
- Staff page at Southwestern Assemblies of God University