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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Bountiful LB now leads the Utes' 'D'
By TRENT TOONESALT LAKE CITY -- To hear Greg Newman describe his teammate and friend Mike Wright, one might think Utah's middle linebacker was a candidate for the Heisman Tropy.
"He's the quarterback of the defense, makes plays all over the field, has a great heart," said Newman, a defensive lineman for the No. 8-ranked Utes. "You wouldn't be able to replace him. There is a significant difference when he isn't in there. He's smart."
Wright, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound junior, is indeed one of the leaders on the Utah defense. He leads the Utes in total tackles with 65. The former Bountiful star also has a sack, four pass breakups and a fumble recovery this season.
That isn't too shabby for a guy who had to have his arm twisted before he would suit up for the Braves his senior year.
That's right, the starting middle linebacker for the 11-0 Utah defense, which ranks among the nation's top 15 in six defensive categories, didn't decide to play football until his senior year of high school.
Turns out he has a talent for making plays on the gridiron.
"I owe a lot to (Bountiful) coach Larry Wall," Wright said. "He got me to start playing football. He taught me a lot about being a good person and football player and that has helped me throughout my career."
Wright said he lost interest in football during the little league years when, because of his weight, had to wear an "X" on his helmet and play exclusively in the trenches.
"I didn't get to carry the ball. That was a bummer for me," he said. "I decided to focus on basketball and baseball. When I got to high school and coach Wall saw what an athlete I was, he talked me into trying out."
Wright said he fell in love with the sport in his first high school game and quickly excelled on the field. As a result of his work ethic, athletic ability and competiveness, Wall recommended Wright to Gary Anderson, the head coach at Southern Utah in 2004. He redshirted one season at SUU, and after returning early from and LDS mission for health reasons, he followed Anderson to Utah and walked on to the program in the spring of 2006.
He continued to improve. Wright played special teams in 2006 and was a backup linebacker last year before winning the starting job last spring. This season has been loaded with highlights, he said, inlcuding big comeback wins against Oregon State and TCU.
Wright was named the Mountain West Conference player of the week after getting 15 tackles in the victory over the Beavers. His biggest challenge has been adjusting to his role as a defensive leader, but feels he is making progress.
Wright, a soft-spoken business major off the field, followed the Utah-BYU rivalry passionately as a kid and can't believe he will be in the middle of the action on Saturday.
"Never, growing up or playing football in high school, did I ever expect to play in a game of this magnitude, let alone the Utah-BYU rivalry," Wright said. "It's going to be a lot of fun, I am looking forward to it. It's a real honor."
His favorite memory of the rivalry was the 2005 game in Provo when Utah defeated BYU 41-34 in overtime.
"I have always rooted for the Utes. I don't particularly care for the people down south," Wright said. "Hopefully, this year will top that."
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