Wikipedia

Scooby Wright

Philip Anthony "Scooby" Wright III (born August 28, 1994) is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football at Arizona where he won several national awards including the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2014.

Scooby Wright
refer to caption
Wright with the Cardinals in 2017
No. 58, 96, 33
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1994-08-28) August 28, 1994 (age 30)
Windsor, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:246 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school:Santa Rosa (CA) Cardinal Newman
College:Arizona (2013–2015)
NFL draft:2016 / round: 7 / pick: 250
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Total tackles:7
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Early life

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Wright attended Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, California, where he was a two-sport star in football and track. He was regarded as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com.[1] Wright was a four-year varsity player at linebacker and running back for the Cardinals. Wright was an all-state selection his junior and senior years. Also a standout shot putter on the track team, Wright had a top-throw of 15.67 meters (51–3).[2]

College career

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Despite being lightly recruited, Wright earned immediate playing time as a true freshman at the University of Arizona in 2013.[3][4] He started 12 of 13 games, recording 83 tackles and an interception and garnering Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 Conference honors. Wright remained a starter as a sophomore in 2014.[5][6] He was a finalist for numerous awards, including the Walter Camp Award.[7] He claimed the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award, Jack Lambert Award, Chuck Bednarik Award and also was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first sophomore to ever win the conference award. Wright also earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors.[8] He had the highest finish of any defensive player in the 2014 Heisman Trophy voting, finishing ninth on the ballot.[9] As a junior in 2015, Wright played only 3 games due to injury, recording 2 sacks and 23 tackles. After his junior year, he announced his intentions to enter the 2016 NFL draft.[citation needed]

College statistics

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Year GP TSolo TAsst TOT TFL TFLYDS SCK SCKYDS INT INTYDS TD FF FR
13
46
37
83
9.0
29
0
0
1
13
0
0
0
14
99
64
163
29.0
96
14.0
71
0
0
0
6
1
3
16
7
23
3.5
12
2.0
12
0
0
0
0
0
Total 27 145 101 236 38.0 125 14.0 71 1 13 0 6 1

Source:[10]

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+3⁄4 in
(1.82 m) 		239 lb
(108 kg) 		30+1⁄2 in
(0.77 m) 		9+3⁄4 in
(0.25 m)		 4.90 s 1.67 s 2.82 s 4.47 s 7.25 s 35.0 in
(0.89 m)		 9 ft 5 in
(2.87 m)		 22 reps
All values from NFL Combine/Pro Day[11][12]

Cleveland Browns

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Wright was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the 7th round (250th overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.[13][14] On May 14, 2016, Wright signed a four-year deal worth $2.401 million featuring a $60,700 signing bonus.[15] He was waived by the Browns on September 20, 2016.[16] The next day, he was signed to the practice squad.[17]

Arizona Cardinals

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On December 13, 2016, Wright was signed by the Arizona Cardinals off the Browns' practice squad.[18]

On September 2, 2017, Wright was waived by the Cardinals and was signed to the practice squad the next day.[19][20] He was promoted to the active roster on September 8, 2017.[21] He was waived on September 11, 2017, and was re-signed to the practice squad.[22] He was promoted back to the active roster on October 3, 2017.[23]

On September 1, 2018, Wright was waived by the Cardinals.[24]

Arizona Hotshots

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On December 11, 2018, Wright signed with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).[25] Wright was credited with 9 tackles in the 8 games played prior to the league shutting down.[26]

New England Patriots

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After the AAF ceased operations in April 2019, Wright signed with the New England Patriots on August 25, 2019.[27] He was released during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019.[28] He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 20, 2019.[29] On October 1, 2019, Wright was released from the practice squad.[30]

DC Defenders

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Wright with the Defenders in 2020

In October 2019, Wright was selected by the DC Defenders of the XFL in the 2020 XFL Draft.[31] In 4 games played, Wright put up 17 tackles.[32] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[33]

Wright signed with the Alphas of The Spring League on October 17, 2020.[34]

Birmingham Stallions

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On February 23, 2022, Wright was drafted by the Birmingham Stallions of the United States Football League (USFL).[35] Wright won Defensive Player of the Week in week 4 with six tackles, one sack, and two tackles for loss.[36] He was ruled inactive for the game against the Philadelphia Stars on May 15, 2022, with a calf injury and an illness.[37][38] He was transferred back to the active roster on May 20,[39] but moved back to the inactive roster later that day. He scored a pick six in the fourth quarter of the 2022 USFL Championship game for the go ahead score.[40]

Wright was placed on the injured reserve list by the team on May 11, 2023,[41] and transferred to the team's inactive roster on June 12.[42] He was placed on injured reserve on April 24, 2024.[43] On May 21, 2024, Wright announced his retirement due to a neck injury, but remained on injured reserve until the end of the season.[44]

Professional statistics

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Regular season

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Year League Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2016 NFL ARI 3 2 0 2 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017 NFL ARI 10 5 5 0 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2019 AAF ARI 7 22 13 9 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2020 XFL DC 4 17 9 8 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022 USFL BHM 7 52 24 28 3.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0
NFL Career 13 7 5 2 0.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Spring Career 18 91 46 45 3.0 0 0 0.0 0 0 2 0 0 0

Postseason

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Year League Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles
GP Cmb Solo Ast Sck Int Yds Avg Lng TD FF FR Yds TD
2022 USFL BHM 2 10 2 8 0.0 1 46 46.0 46 1 0 0 0 0

Personal life

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Wright is the son of Philip Jr. and Annette Wright. His father is head softball coach at Santa Rosa Junior College and played football at Long Beach State. His sister, Ashley, played softball at Illinois. Wright has been called "Scooby" since he was a baby when his father nicknamed him.[45][46]

References

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  1. ^ "Philip Wright". ESPN.com.
  2. ^ "BOYS SHOT PUT CLASS RECORDS". Running.Blogs.PressDemocrat.com.
  3. ^ "Scooby can-do: Arizona freshman linebacker in line for early playing time". Tucson Citizen. August 19, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Fox Sports (September 30, 2014). "Arizona's unheralded Scooby Wright proves doubters wrong". FOX Sports.
  5. ^ Rittenberg, Adam (November 20, 2014). "Scooby Wright, the underdog, is the face of Arizona football". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  6. ^ "LB Scooby Wright anchors UA football defense". azcentral. September 30, 2014.
  7. ^ Daniel Berk. "UA football: Wright garnering major national attention". Arizona Daily Star.
  8. ^ "Arizona LB Scooby Wright wins Bronko Nagurski Trophy". CollegeFootballTalk. December 9, 2014.
  9. ^ "Marcus Mariota of Oregon Ducks wins Heisman Trophy". ESPN.com. December 14, 2014.
  10. ^ "cfbstats.com – Scooby Wright III 2014 Player Statistics – Arizona Wildcats". CFBStats.com.
  11. ^ "Scooby Wright Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  12. ^ "2016 Draft Scout Scooby Wright III, Arizona NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  14. ^ Labbe, Dan (April 30, 2016). "Cleveland Browns select Arizona's Scooby Wright III with their final pick of the 2016 NFL Draft". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  15. ^ Pokorny, Chris (May 14, 2016). "Browns sign 7th round pick, Scooby Wright". DawgsByNature.com. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
  16. ^ Cabot, Mary Kay (September 20, 2016). "Browns waive 7th-round linebacker Scooby Wright and cut DL John Hughes". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  17. ^ "Browns sign LB Scooby Wright III to practice squad". ClevelandBrowns.com. September 22, 2016. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017.
  18. ^ Urban, Darren (December 13, 2016). "Cardinals Switch Punters, Sign Scooby Wright". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2017.
  19. ^ Urban, Darren (September 2, 2017). "Cardinals Make Moves To Reach 53-Man Roster". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017.
  20. ^ Urban, Darren (September 3, 2017). "Dorian Johnson Among Practice Squad Picks". AZCardinals.com. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017.
  21. ^ Williams, Charean (September 8, 2017). "Cardinals activate Scooby Wright, cut Philip Wheeler". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com.
  22. ^ Williams, Charean (September 11, 2017). "Cardinals re-sign Philip Wheeler, cut Scooby Wright". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com.
  23. ^ "Cardinals promote Scooby Wright, add two to practice squad". ArizonaSports.com. October 3, 2017.
  24. ^ Urban, Darren (September 1, 2018). "Cardinals Make Cuts To Reach 53-Man Roster". AZCardinals.com.
  25. ^ Dale, Shane (December 11, 2018). "Scooby Wright: Former Wildcat, Cardinal signs with Arizona Hotshots of AAF". ABC15.com. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  26. ^ "Scooby Wright III".
  27. ^ Pedersen, Brian (August 25, 2019). "Former Wildcat great Scooby Wright signs with Patriots". AZDesertsWarm.com. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  28. ^ Yang, Nicole. "Patriots rumor roundup: Here's who won't make New England's 53-man roster". Boston.com. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  29. ^ "Patriots Release WR Antonio Brown; Announce Practice Squad Moves". Patriots.com. September 20, 2019.
  30. ^ Vautor, Matt (October 1, 2019). "Patriots cut Cameron Meredith, Caleb Benenoch, release Scooby Wright from practice squad;". MassLive.com. MassLive. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  31. ^ Bender, Bill (October 21, 2019). "XFL Draft picks 2019: Complete results, rosters, players for new football league". Sporting News. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  32. ^ "XFL Live Stats". Archived from the original on June 12, 2020. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  33. ^ Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  34. ^ The Spring League 🏈 [@TheSpringLeague] (October 17, 2020). "Some new faces at #TSL2020 for the Alphas 🐺 https://t.co/J8Z4Ci9Z6r" (Tweet). Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  35. ^ Birmingham Stallions [@USFLStallions] (February 23, 2022). "Welcome to the squad, Scooby! #GiddyUp https://t.co/L8bqNXrQMT" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 23, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  36. ^ USFL [@USFL] (May 10, 2022). "The Week 4 Defensive Player of the Week is... @USFLStallions LB @TwoStarScoob 🦈🐶 #GiddyUp https://t.co/ljmgrsBLWH" (Tweet). Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved May 15, 2022 – via Twitter.
  37. ^ @USFLStallions (May 15, 2022). "Roster updates for today's game vs Philadelphia" (Tweet). Retrieved May 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ @USFLStallions (May 14, 2022). "Game Status Report" (Tweet). Retrieved May 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ @USFLStallions (May 20, 2022). "Roster Updates" (Tweet). Retrieved May 23, 2022 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ @USFLStallions (May 20, 2022). "Roster Updates" (Tweet). Retrieved May 23, 2022 – via Twitter.
  41. ^ @USFLStallions (May 11, 2023). "Transferred Player to Injured Reserve List" (Tweet). Retrieved May 12, 2023 – via Twitter.
  42. ^ @USFLStallions (June 12, 2023). "Transferred Player to Inactive Roster" (Tweet). Retrieved June 13, 2023 – via Twitter.
  43. ^ "UFL Transactions". UFLBoard.com. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  44. ^ Spears, Justin (May 21, 2024). "Ex-Wildcat Scooby Wright 'focused on getting healthy' following severe neck injury". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
  45. ^ "Meet Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright: From Barely Recruited to one of the Nation's Best". AthlonSports.com.
  46. ^ "Get to know Arizona's Scooby Wright". azcentral. December 29, 2014.
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