Rodrique Wright
Encyclopedia
Rodrique Charles Wright (born July 31, 1984) is an American football
defensive end
who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins
in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Texas
.
He has also been a member of the New York Jets
and Saskatchewan Roughriders
.
defensive tackle for Alief Hastings High School
in Houston, Texas. After seeing limited action as a sophomore, he was a first-team all-district selection as a junior after registering 92 tackles
, nine sacks
and a blocked extra point
attempt.
Wright earned first team All-America
honors from USA Today
as a senior. He was also a Parade
All-American and was rated among the nation's top 10 defensive line prospects by Student Sports. He was a first-team 5A all-state, All-Greater Houston and all-district selection as a senior. He was a finalist for the Greater Houston Touchdown Club Player of the Year award that season during which he posted 104 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two blocked point-after attempts in 2001. Wright played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
alongside fellow Texas Longhorns Kasey Studdard
and Justin Blalock
.
Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
, Wright was ranked second among defensive tackle prospects in the nation (behind Haloti Ngata
).
and The Sporting News
. He earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from the league's coaches, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
, Houston Chronicle
and The Sporting News. He shared the Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Newcomer Award and ranked seventh on the team (first among true freshmen) in tackles (65), second in tackles for loss (13) and third in sacks (4.5) and quarterback
pressures (15). He ranked in a third-place tie in tackles for loss and tied for fourth in sacks on Texas' freshman lists. Wright was a key member of a Longhorns defense that led the Big 12 and ranked eighth in the NCAA in pass defense (165.2 ypg), second in the conference and seventh in the nation in pass efficiency defense (96.1 rtg), eighth in the country in scoring defense (16.3 ppg) and 16th nationally in total defense (307.7 ypg). He performed particularly well in Big 12 action, posting 52 tackles (22 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 10 pressures, one forced fumble and a blocked kick in eight league contests.
Wright started all 13 games at defensive tackle in 2003, earning consensus second-team All-Big 12 honors and sharing the Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Lineman award. He recorded 80 tackles, a team-leading 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss (tied for second on the team), a team-leading 30 pressures, three passes batted down and three forced fumbles. In four games against Top 25 teams, he registered a total of 31 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and eight pressures. While only a sophomore, Wright was a key member of a defense which ranked ninth in the NCAA in pass defense (177.3 ypg), 25th in total defense (329.8 ypg) and 32nd in scoring defense (21.5 ppg).
Wright played in 11 games, making 10 starts, at defensive tackle as a junior in 2004. Despite battling an ankle injury for much of the season, he posted 36 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and seven quarterback pressures. He recorded 16 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pressures in five games versus Top 25 foes.
For his performance during the year, Wright was tabbed second-team All-American by The Sporting News and honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly
. He was also named first-team All-Big 12 by The Dallas Morning News
and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press
, the conference coaches, The Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News
. For the second straight year, he shared the team's Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award.
In 2005, Wright started all 13 games and posted 46 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 15 pressures, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Award
and tabbed First-team All-America
by the Walter Camp
Football Foundation and the Associated Press. To end his career, he won the national championship in a Rose Bowl
victory over Southern California
.
. It was later revealed that Wright had a torn rotator cuff
, which he underwent surgery to repair in May 2006. In late July, Wright signed a four-year contract with the team.
Wright was not healthy enough to play during his rookie
season. He spent all of 2006 on the non-football injury list.
Fully recovered from shoulder surgery, Wright practiced at defensive end as the backup to Vonnie Holliday
during the team's April minicamps. Wright started his first game on October 7, 2007 against the Houston Texans
. He played in 13 games with nine starts and registered 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery.
Wright was waived on September 5, 2009.
on March 16, 2010. Wright would later be waived by the team on August 29, 2010.
on October 27, 2010.
records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and was a first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs
in 1971. Wright is a cousin of former Longhorns defensive end Cedric Woodard
, who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks
.
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...
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 is currently a free agent. He was 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 2006 NFL Draft
2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. 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 Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
.
He has also been a member of the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
.
Early years
Wright was a three-year letterman and two-year startingStarting 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...
defensive tackle for Alief Hastings High School
Alief Hastings High School
Alief Hastings High School is a secondary school in the Alief neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. Originally named Alief Junior-Senior High School, the school's present location opened in 1972....
in Houston, Texas. After seeing limited action as a sophomore, he was a first-team all-district selection as a junior after registering 92 tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
, nine sacks
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...
and a blocked extra point
Extra Point
Extra Point is a twice-daily, two-minute segment on ESPN Radio that covers generic sports-related topical news and opinion. The AM edition airs Monday through Saturday at various times between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. ET, and the PM edition airs Monday through Friday between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET...
attempt.
Wright earned first team 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...
honors from USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
as a senior. He was also a Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American and was rated among the nation's top 10 defensive line prospects by Student Sports. He was a first-team 5A all-state, All-Greater Houston and all-district selection as a senior. He was a finalist for the Greater Houston Touchdown Club Player of the Year award that season during which he posted 104 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries and two blocked point-after attempts in 2001. Wright played in the 2002 U.S. Army All-American Bowl
U.S. Army All-American Bowl
The U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
alongside fellow Texas Longhorns Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard
Kasey Studdard is an American football offensive guard for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. The son of former Denver Broncos tackle Dave Studdard, he was drafted by the Texans in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and Justin Blalock
Justin Blalock
Justin Christopher Blalock is an American football NFL player for the Atlanta Falcons. He played college ball as the right tackle for the Texas Longhorns under coach Mack Brown. He stands at 6'3.25" and weighs 320 lbs.-High school career:Blalock attended Plano East Senior High School, playing...
.
Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
, Wright was ranked second among defensive tackle prospects in the nation (behind Haloti Ngata
Haloti Ngata
-Baltimore Ravens:Ngata decided to leave Oregon a year early because his mother, 'Ofa, was in the early stages of kidney dialysis. She died from her illness on January 13, 2006....
).
Prep awards and honors
- First-team ParadeParade (magazine)Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn 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...
n (2001) - First-team USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
All-American (2001)
College career
As a true freshman in 2002, Wright saw action in all 13 games and started nine. He was a first-team Freshman All-America selection by the Football Writers Association of AmericaFootball Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
and The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. He earned Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year honors from the league's coaches, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is a major U.S. daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. Its area of domination is checked by its main rival, The Dallas Morning News, which is published from the eastern half of the Metroplex. It is owned...
, Houston Chronicle
Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily newspaper in Texas, USA, headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building in Downtown Houston. , it is the ninth-largest newspaper by circulation in the United States...
and The Sporting News. He shared the Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Newcomer Award and ranked seventh on the team (first among true freshmen) in tackles (65), second in tackles for loss (13) and third in sacks (4.5) and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
pressures (15). He ranked in a third-place tie in tackles for loss and tied for fourth in sacks on Texas' freshman lists. Wright was a key member of a Longhorns defense that led the Big 12 and ranked eighth in the NCAA in pass defense (165.2 ypg), second in the conference and seventh in the nation in pass efficiency defense (96.1 rtg), eighth in the country in scoring defense (16.3 ppg) and 16th nationally in total defense (307.7 ypg). He performed particularly well in Big 12 action, posting 52 tackles (22 solo), 13 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 10 pressures, one forced fumble and a blocked kick in eight league contests.
Wright started all 13 games at defensive tackle in 2003, earning consensus second-team All-Big 12 honors and sharing the Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Lineman award. He recorded 80 tackles, a team-leading 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss (tied for second on the team), a team-leading 30 pressures, three passes batted down and three forced fumbles. In four games against Top 25 teams, he registered a total of 31 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for loss and eight pressures. While only a sophomore, Wright was a key member of a defense which ranked ninth in the NCAA in pass defense (177.3 ypg), 25th in total defense (329.8 ypg) and 32nd in scoring defense (21.5 ppg).
Wright played in 11 games, making 10 starts, at defensive tackle as a junior in 2004. Despite battling an ankle injury for much of the season, he posted 36 tackles, a sack, three tackles for loss and seven quarterback pressures. He recorded 16 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pressures in five games versus Top 25 foes.
For his performance during the year, Wright was tabbed second-team All-American by The Sporting News and honorable mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly
Pro Football Weekly is an American sports magazine, founded in 1967, that covers the National Football League...
. He was also named first-team All-Big 12 by The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He earned second-team All-Big 12 honors from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, the conference coaches, The Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News
San Antonio Express-News
The San Antonio Express-News is the daily newspaper of San Antonio, Texas. It is ranked as the third-largest daily newspaper in the state of Texas in terms of circulation, and is one of the leading news sources of South Texas, with offices in Austin, Brownsville, Laredo, and Mexico City...
. For the second straight year, he shared the team's Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award.
In 2005, Wright started all 13 games and posted 46 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 15 pressures, three passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Award
Lombardi Award
The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
and tabbed First-team All-America
2005 College Football All-America Team
The 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
by the Walter Camp
Walter Camp
Walter Chauncey Camp was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". With John Heisman, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Pop Warner, Fielding H. Yost, and George Halas, Camp was one of the most accomplished persons in the early history of American football...
Football Foundation and the Associated Press. To end his career, he won the national championship in a Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
victory over Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Awards and honors
- Big 12Big 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Freshman of the Year (2002) - First-team Football Writers Association of AmericaFootball Writers Association of AmericaThe Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
Freshman All-American (2002) - First-team Sporting News Freshman All-American (2002)
- 2x Longhorns' Outstanding Defensive Lineman Award (2003, 2004)
- Second-team All-Big 12 (2003)
- Second-team APAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-Big 12 (2004) - Second-team Sporting News All-American(2004)
- First-team AP All-American2005 College Football All-America TeamThe 2005 College Football All-America Team is composed of the following All-American Teams: Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, American Football Coaches Association, Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, ESPN, CBS Sports, College...
(2005) - First-team Walter Camp Football FoundationWalter Camp Football FoundationThe Walter Camp Football Foundation is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA. The organization also presents various awards.-Awards:*Walter Camp Player of the Year*CT Player of the Year...
All-American (2005) - Lombardi AwardLombardi AwardThe Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best college football lineman or linebacker. The Lombardi Award program was approved by the Rotary Club in Houston in 1970 shortly after the death of Vince Lombardi. The committee outlined the criteria for eligibility for the award, which...
finalist (2005)
Miami Dolphins
Despite being widely regarded as a very good pro prospect and one of the best defensive tackles in the nation at Texas, Wright fell all the way to the seventh round and was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 226th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft2006 NFL Draft
The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with additional coverage offered by ESPNU and, for the first time, by...
. It was later revealed that Wright had a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
, which he underwent surgery to repair in May 2006. In late July, Wright signed a four-year contract with the team.
Wright was not healthy enough to play during his rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
season. He spent all of 2006 on the non-football injury list.
Fully recovered from shoulder surgery, Wright practiced at defensive end as the backup to Vonnie Holliday
Vonnie Holliday
Dimetry Giovonni "Vonnie" Holliday is an American football defensive end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers 19th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
during the team's April minicamps. Wright started his first game on October 7, 2007 against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He played in 13 games with nine starts and registered 37 tackles, 1.5 sacks, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery.
Wright was waived on September 5, 2009.
New York Jets
Wright signed with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on March 16, 2010. Wright would later be waived by the team on August 29, 2010.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Wright signed with the Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
on October 27, 2010.
Personal
Wright's uncle, Elmo Wright, holds the University of HoustonUniversity of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, and was a first-round pick for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in 1971. Wright is a cousin of former Longhorns defensive end Cedric Woodard
Cedric Woodard
Cedric Darnell Woodard is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas.Woodards cousin, Quentin Jammer, plays cornerback for the San Diego Chargers....
, who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.