European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 01, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse A ticket to the Hall of Fame bowl the gamecocks lost the bowl game to Missouri but they gained a Heisman candidate in Rogers who amassed 1,681 Yards in that 1979 season i was depressed All the time Wright says of his lost season but it had to make me a better when Wright returned Tor his Junior season of 1980, he knew his script Well Block so Rogers could win the Heisman trophy it worked. Rogers rushed Lor 1.894 Yards to Lead the nation and became South Carolina s Only Hoisman trophy Winner. The gamecocks again went 8-3, again landed a bowl bid. And again lost in the postseason this time to Pitt in the Gator bowl i took it As a role play blocking Back for Rogers run Lor the Heisman says Wright who squeezed in a 162-Yard game against Duke ii was t for myself but for the team and George. Ii was a thrill to play with a Heisman trophy Winner " from there the two prep stars of 1977 split. Rogers one of the lop Schoolboy runners from Georgia rushed to stardom with new Orleans 1981-84 and Washington 1985-87 of the nil Wright one of Florida s finest preps lers Hung around for a senior season at South Carolina Back at his old tailback spot in 1981, Wright rushed Lor 834 Yards and five touchdowns As the gamecocks went 66 the yardage gave Wright a career total of 2,589 that ranks fourth in South Carolina annals behind Rogers Slovon Wadiak and Thomas Dendy but it did t impress the pros much. The Colts who would t move to Indianapolis for another two seasons waited until the 12th round to draft Wright in the Spring of 1982 As the Colls opened training Camp Wright bumped up against a marquee Backfield of Dickey the former Texas asm spinner and Mcmillan the sex Pitt Bulldozer plus a harsh coach in Frank Kush with Frank Kush there it was like a military Drill Camp says Wright. I had never been through that before there was pressure. Unbelievable pressure especially for a Rookie not drafted that Wright made the team. That season of 1982 was a washout for the nil and Baltimore. The strike Cut the season to Rune games the Colls went 0-8-1. Wright he played in seven games mostly on special teams As a Reserve running Back he rushed once or three Yards against Miami and caught one pass for 12 Yards against Iho now York jets. He made one tackle on punt coverage in the last game. That was it. Wright was Cut just before the 1983 season to expresses bitterness because. Kush told to before training Camp to wanted to to compete for a Starling position i thought i did belter than Dickey and Mcmillan. In the last exhibition game against Atlanta. I ran eight limes Lor 40 Yards and caught seven passes Lor 70 Yards i graded 91 percent Lor my performance of the Day. The next Day. Kush told me to released Kush who was a National figure at Arizona stale before joining the Colts these Days toils in Public relations for a horse racing track in Phoenix. He remembers Wright As a runner with a Good shot at making the 1983 team. In act i think he went on one of the very last cuts in 83," says Kush. It was a Lough decision because he had been doing a Good Job but he got caught in one of those numbers situations that happens All Iho Limo in football. We were limited to Only so Many backs and Wright carries the Ball past an opponent in Early season Csc action. Insert a profile from South Carolina s 1979 football program. We were loaded at that Limo with people like Curtis Dickey and Handy Mcmillan. One thing that worked against Wright was that we thought he lacked the size to needed at running Back. Although to was fairly tall As i recall he really did t have the kind of bulk to were looking Lor in our Wright blames his Cut on politics " i had a $60,000 contract with a $20,000 Bonus Dickey and Mcmillan were being paid something like $150,000 with a $250,000 Bonus it does t look Good to play to when you be invested that much in them 01 course they re going to release me. The nil is like a labor Camp. Looking at it from Iho outside you just see All those Guys making Money Bui on the inside you see 60 Guys gel Cut. You see Guys picked up just so they can have bodies Lor the veterans to practice with it s a business. It s a big business either you get Iho Job done or you re gone. Sometimes you got Iho Job Dono and you re still Gono " Wright wailed for nil Calls that never came then he signed for peanuts with the Washington federals of the u s football league he played in Iho Spring of 1984 with Iho federals when they moved to Orlando they released him that was in the Spring of 1985 i was out there in the world now to says i was like a baby learning to walk again i had Wright tried to make a living in fort Myers. But it s a hard area he says it s heavy with drugs it s hard to live a straight life " alter one year of that he says i realized the military was the Best Way to to joined the army in August 1980 by june 1988. He was in Kaiserslautern with Iho 527lh military intelligence in. A year later he had slimmed Down from 250 pounds to 225 and joined Ramstein s ram the rams Are shooting for Shnir fourth Safe title of Iho 1980s Wright wants to contribute and hints at trying to come Back. Yet Wright knows he could to through with Loo Ball. If he is to will forever remember that 1 i never found a defense that can Slop me. Not even at the pro level and 2 i think i was t Given a Chance. I be got to live with that the rest of my life " g�f-2ss5= sunday october 1,1989 the stars and stripes Page 17
