Photo by: BRETT ROJO/For the University of
A Blessing for Willie Wright Turns into Blessings for Others
9/2/2018 8:00:00 AM | Football
By Tanner Brown, Media Relations Assistant
For University of Tulsa football senior Willie Wright, giving back has become a way of life. Dedication, charitability and adaptability have become the norm since growing up in Houston, Texas.
Wright, a standout offensive tackle for head coach Philip Montgomery, has developed into a vocal leader on the field and an exemplary person off it. He has been named to the watch lists for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for the second consecutive season. Those two awards recognize community service and campus involvement among college football players. It's not hard to recognize Wright's willingness to give back to the community. The inclination to give has always been a staple of Wright's character, with Tulsa providing the perfect avenue to do so.
"Moving to Tulsa was probably one of the biggest blessings in my life," Wright said. "I got to live on my own and not have to worry about anything else."
When he arrived at TU, his only defensive scholarship offer, Wright sat out his freshman season due to a redshirt year. During spring camp before the 2015 season, Montgomery, in his first year as the Hurricane head coach, presented the idea of moving to offensive tackle to more immediately help the team. Wright said he knew it was an easy decision; he wanted to help the team and trusted his coach. He would see his first collegiate playing time at right tackle in a reserve role against FAU in the season opener, then started the remaining 12 games of that season.
"I thought it was a no brainer," Wright said. "I felt comfortable putting my future in football in his hands."
On the field, Wright has started 35 of 36 games played and has helped the Golden Hurricane offense rank among the nation's top-15 in each of the last two seasons for rushing. Along with his offensive line-mates, he has helped pave the way for the last two American Athletic Conference's leading rushers – James Flanders in 2016 and D'Angelo Brewer in 2017.
As the 2017 season was just underway, tragedy struck in the form of Mother Nature. Hurricane Harvey devastated Wright's hometown while in the middle of the season, barring him from returning home to help his family and friends. Instead, he and teammate and fellow Houston native Nate Walker decided to make a difference from Oklahoma. Wright said he and Walker expected to fill a few bags to send home, but instead the generous gesture turned into something more.
"We were thinking we could just get a couple bags down there," Wright said. "But coach (Mike) Bloesch tweeted it out as well, and we started getting responses from other schools. We went from something simple to people sending toiletries, clothes and shoes to help."
What was supposed to be no more than a few bags of items, turned into an entire truckload of items desperately needed at the time. Wright said he was in awe of the support his seemingly small gesture received, and because of that said he realized he could make an impact on and off the field. That epiphany has led him to desire to pursue a career in coaching to impact the lives of others, much like the way he trusted in coach Montgomery.
"I just want to be what everyone needs me to be," Wright added. "I want to be that leader who anyone can come to for advice, whether it's about football, family or anything. I may not have all the answers, but I'll try to lead them to success."
Now in his final season with the Golden Hurricane, Wright has become committed to giving back and leading by example for his teammates. When the team needs a spark this season, look no further than the right tackle position.
For University of Tulsa football senior Willie Wright, giving back has become a way of life. Dedication, charitability and adaptability have become the norm since growing up in Houston, Texas.
Wright, a standout offensive tackle for head coach Philip Montgomery, has developed into a vocal leader on the field and an exemplary person off it. He has been named to the watch lists for the Wuerffel Trophy and the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team for the second consecutive season. Those two awards recognize community service and campus involvement among college football players. It's not hard to recognize Wright's willingness to give back to the community. The inclination to give has always been a staple of Wright's character, with Tulsa providing the perfect avenue to do so.
"Moving to Tulsa was probably one of the biggest blessings in my life," Wright said. "I got to live on my own and not have to worry about anything else."
When he arrived at TU, his only defensive scholarship offer, Wright sat out his freshman season due to a redshirt year. During spring camp before the 2015 season, Montgomery, in his first year as the Hurricane head coach, presented the idea of moving to offensive tackle to more immediately help the team. Wright said he knew it was an easy decision; he wanted to help the team and trusted his coach. He would see his first collegiate playing time at right tackle in a reserve role against FAU in the season opener, then started the remaining 12 games of that season.
"I thought it was a no brainer," Wright said. "I felt comfortable putting my future in football in his hands."
On the field, Wright has started 35 of 36 games played and has helped the Golden Hurricane offense rank among the nation's top-15 in each of the last two seasons for rushing. Along with his offensive line-mates, he has helped pave the way for the last two American Athletic Conference's leading rushers – James Flanders in 2016 and D'Angelo Brewer in 2017.
As the 2017 season was just underway, tragedy struck in the form of Mother Nature. Hurricane Harvey devastated Wright's hometown while in the middle of the season, barring him from returning home to help his family and friends. Instead, he and teammate and fellow Houston native Nate Walker decided to make a difference from Oklahoma. Wright said he and Walker expected to fill a few bags to send home, but instead the generous gesture turned into something more.
"We were thinking we could just get a couple bags down there," Wright said. "But coach (Mike) Bloesch tweeted it out as well, and we started getting responses from other schools. We went from something simple to people sending toiletries, clothes and shoes to help."
What was supposed to be no more than a few bags of items, turned into an entire truckload of items desperately needed at the time. Wright said he was in awe of the support his seemingly small gesture received, and because of that said he realized he could make an impact on and off the field. That epiphany has led him to desire to pursue a career in coaching to impact the lives of others, much like the way he trusted in coach Montgomery.
"I just want to be what everyone needs me to be," Wright added. "I want to be that leader who anyone can come to for advice, whether it's about football, family or anything. I may not have all the answers, but I'll try to lead them to success."
Now in his final season with the Golden Hurricane, Wright has become committed to giving back and leading by example for his teammates. When the team needs a spark this season, look no further than the right tackle position.
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