02-11-2019, 06:21 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2019, 07:10 PM by JKortesi81.)
The Santa Ana Star
Technically News Since 1931
George Wright Jr.'s Unusual Career Embodies the NSFL's Inaugural Struggles
It seems like a long time since the first whistle blew in the NSFL's inaugural Season 1. For all the uncertainty felt through the league at that time, the former Iowa product George Wright Jr. felt even more. He was a low value prospect by any definition, a Tight End who was known more as a dependable blocker than someone who could make a play, let alone a highlight reel. He was relatively unknown and definitely not on the radar of the league's GMs. In fact, 107 picks would go by until he would be chosen by the Orange County Otters, a team that seemed to have forgotten Tight Ends existed at all.
"I didn't know what to think," George told our NSFL staff writer Bert Cotrell, "round after round went by and I thought well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Then my name was called way at the end of the draft and all that went away. I didn't care where I got drafted, I just knew I was an Otter and that was my focus."
George quickly got a reputation as a quiet, hard-worker on a roster that looked elite but kept falling apart on the field. The Otters had a quarterback in Mike Boss who couldn't seem to keep it together on the field, a defense that forced the offense to constantly play in high gear, and George Wright Jr., a Tight End that counted pancakes like they were touchdowns. The Otters were destined for greatness, of course, but it would take a while to see that destiny come to fruition.
Wright's career took a turn for the bizarre in Season 3, when he unexpectedly declared that he would be changing positions to Defensive End. He had quite literally done a 180 to line up opposite from his traditional spot. George spent most of his career on the D-Line, where his broad and meaty frame made him a stout run blocker and someone who could shift linemen to create gaps.
"The change was good for my career of course," George said, "the team needed me to switch and I didn't hesitate to do it."
The Otters would go on to win 3 consecutive Ultimus Cups during Wright's tenure, before he eventually called it quits after a 9 year career. George continues to live in Orange County, managing his non-profit Wright's Flights which advocates for endangered North American birds and provides education and experiences to children. Though his career is long over, George hasn't lost his sense of competitiveness.
"I could still do it, totally." George confidently claimed, "I'd be the oldest guy in the league by a mile but I think with a few good workouts I could be back to knocking guys on their asses. I can say that in an interview right?"
While his dream of putting back on the Otters uniform is unlikely to come true, George knows that there will be fans wearing his old #44 in the stands cheering on the newest generations of Orange County's finest.
Technically News Since 1931
George Wright Jr.'s Unusual Career Embodies the NSFL's Inaugural Struggles
It seems like a long time since the first whistle blew in the NSFL's inaugural Season 1. For all the uncertainty felt through the league at that time, the former Iowa product George Wright Jr. felt even more. He was a low value prospect by any definition, a Tight End who was known more as a dependable blocker than someone who could make a play, let alone a highlight reel. He was relatively unknown and definitely not on the radar of the league's GMs. In fact, 107 picks would go by until he would be chosen by the Orange County Otters, a team that seemed to have forgotten Tight Ends existed at all.
"I didn't know what to think," George told our NSFL staff writer Bert Cotrell, "round after round went by and I thought well, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Then my name was called way at the end of the draft and all that went away. I didn't care where I got drafted, I just knew I was an Otter and that was my focus."
George quickly got a reputation as a quiet, hard-worker on a roster that looked elite but kept falling apart on the field. The Otters had a quarterback in Mike Boss who couldn't seem to keep it together on the field, a defense that forced the offense to constantly play in high gear, and George Wright Jr., a Tight End that counted pancakes like they were touchdowns. The Otters were destined for greatness, of course, but it would take a while to see that destiny come to fruition.
Wright's career took a turn for the bizarre in Season 3, when he unexpectedly declared that he would be changing positions to Defensive End. He had quite literally done a 180 to line up opposite from his traditional spot. George spent most of his career on the D-Line, where his broad and meaty frame made him a stout run blocker and someone who could shift linemen to create gaps.
"The change was good for my career of course," George said, "the team needed me to switch and I didn't hesitate to do it."
The Otters would go on to win 3 consecutive Ultimus Cups during Wright's tenure, before he eventually called it quits after a 9 year career. George continues to live in Orange County, managing his non-profit Wright's Flights which advocates for endangered North American birds and provides education and experiences to children. Though his career is long over, George hasn't lost his sense of competitiveness.
"I could still do it, totally." George confidently claimed, "I'd be the oldest guy in the league by a mile but I think with a few good workouts I could be back to knocking guys on their asses. I can say that in an interview right?"
While his dream of putting back on the Otters uniform is unlikely to come true, George knows that there will be fans wearing his old #44 in the stands cheering on the newest generations of Orange County's finest.
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