CLA’s Wright Crusading Buzz

by Courtney Maciasz

October 13, 2009 - Christian Life Academy’s Kevin Wright, Jr. may be under the radar to many colleges, but perhaps this works out best for 6-3, 205 lb quarterback.

“It is less pressure on me when I’m out there playing, but I would like more exposure,” Wright said of playing at the 1A Baton Rouge based school.

Wright earned the spot as the Crusaders top signal caller when he was just a sophomore. As a junior, he and his team traveled to the Louisiana Superdome for the Class 1A state championship where they were defeated by South Plaquemines. Wright was overshadowed by then senior running back, Shane Andrus, who rushed for over 1,820 yards in the regular season. Much of Wright’s playing time was spent handing the ball of to Andrus, though Wright was able to show his ability as a dual threat quarterback with some pass plays to Andrus and a few quarterback sweeps.

Despite the loss to South Plaquemines, assistant coaches from Tulane and Utah inquired about Wright within the next few days. His size and athletic ability was impressive, which has also peaked the interests of LSU and Missouri, who see Wright playing the wide receiver spot in college. He has already been offered a scholarship from Utah, where he is being recruited as an athlete.

“A lot of schools have sent letters to me, but there hasn’t really been any contact like those (Utah, LSU, and Missouri),” said Wright, who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds.

Wright said he would like to play receiver in college, and notes that the best part of his game is his running ability. He said he spends time watching highlight films of former University of Florida standout and current Minnesota Vikings rookie, Percy Harvin.

“I try to mimic his moves, and I think the best part of my game is being able to make a move on the defender,” Wright explained.

Wright is optimistic, yet realistic about playing football on the next level, especially coming from such a small high school.

“The recruiting process is a long one, because there are a lot of players out there. So, you should take every game and do your best,” Wright said. “It’s harder to get noticed at a small school. I’ve made and sent out a lot of videos to schools, made a lot of phone calls. You have to work extra hard. Go to camps. Work hard in the weight room so that the college coaches can see your physical stature and ability.”