Alexander Wright (American football) facts for kids

Alexander Wright, born on July 19, 1967, is a former American professional football player. He played as a wide receiver for teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Raiders, and St. Louis Rams in the National Football League (NFL). He was known for his incredible speed, winning the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition twice! He also played college football at Auburn University.

Early Life and High School Football

Alexander Wright grew up in Albany, Georgia. He went to Albany High School. For most of his high school years, he focused on track and field. He was a very fast runner!

In his final year of high school, he decided to join the football team. He played as a wide receiver (catching passes) and a cornerback (defending against passes). His amazing athletic skills allowed him to guard other players very well on the field.

College Football at Auburn University

Wright earned a football scholarship to Auburn University. When he first started, he played as a defensive back. However, he wasn't the best at tackling or stopping runs. So, in his second year, he moved to wide receiver.

First Starts and Big Plays

As a junior, he got his first chance to start a game. He played against the University of Tennessee. In that game, he caught 3 passes for 108 yards. One of those catches was a 75-yard touchdown! For the whole season, he had 12 catches for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Wright slowly got better as an offensive player. He didn't play much until his senior year, when he became a full-time starter.

Record-Breaking Senior Year

In the first game of his senior season, he played against the University of the Pacific. He had an amazing game, setting new school records! He caught passes for 263 yards and scored 4 touchdowns.

Later that season, he had another great game against the University of Alabama. He caught 7 passes for 143 yards. Auburn won that game 30-20, which was a big victory. It was also the first time the famous Iron Bowl game was played at Jordan–Hare Stadium.

Wright finished his senior year leading his team in catches (30), receiving yards (714), and receiving touchdowns (6). He even won the Shug Jordan Award as Auburn's best senior football player.

College Career Records

By the end of his college career, Wright was one of Auburn's top receivers ever. He had 56 catches for 1,320 yards and 11 touchdowns. He still holds the school record for the highest average yards per catch, with 23.57 yards! This means that for every catch he made, he gained a lot of yards.

About one out of every five of his catches resulted in a touchdown. Many of his touchdown catches were very long, with 6 of them being over 50 yards! He was also good at running the ball on special plays called reverse runs, scoring 4 times out of 12 attempts.

Track and Field Success

Besides football, Wright was also a talented track and field athlete at Auburn. In 1988, he won two titles in the Southeastern Conference (SEC): the 55 meters and the 200 meters. He was only the second athlete in SEC history to be named an All-American in three different events! These events were the 55 meters, 200 meters, and the 4 × 100 metres relay. His speed was truly impressive!

Professional Football Career

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys picked Alexander Wright in the second round of the 1990 NFL draft. He was the very first wide receiver chosen in that draft. Even though he was still learning the game, everyone knew he was a gifted athlete with incredible speed.

The Cowboys wanted him to be a player who could catch long passes. He was meant to work with running back Emmitt Smith, who was also drafted by the Cowboys that year. Wright missed some training camp because of a contract holdout. But in his second preseason game, he returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown!

In 1991, he started as a wide receiver for the first 8 games. He was also a great kickoff returner on special teams. He was ranked third in the league for kickoff returns that year. On December 22, 1991, he set a record for the longest play in Cowboys history with a 102-yard kickoff return against the Atlanta Falcons. As of 2018, he and Mel Renfro are the only Cowboys players with more than one kickoff return touchdown.

Wright was one of the fastest players in the entire NFL. He won the NFL's "Fastest Man" competition in both 1992 and 1993. In May 1991, he was timed running the 40-yard dash in an amazing 4.14 seconds! He was also the strongest wide receiver on the team.

Even with all his talent, he didn't develop as a receiver as much as some hoped. He later said he was "never a polished package." In 1992, after playing in five games with no catches, he was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders.

Los Angeles Raiders

The Los Angeles Raiders wanted Wright to add more speed to their offense, playing alongside Tim Brown and Willie Gault. In 1993, he became a full-time starter and had his best season. He caught 27 passes for 462 yards. In the final game of that season, the Raiders were losing to the Denver Broncos. Wright caught a game-tying touchdown pass from Jeff Hostetler. The Raiders went on to win and made it to the playoffs!

In 1994, he had a calf injury that kept him out of most of training camp. But he still managed to keep his starting spot. During his time with the Raiders, sportscaster Chris Berman gave him a funny nickname: "If Loving You Is Wrong I Don't Want to Be" Wright.

St. Louis Rams

On March 22, 1995, Wright signed with the St. Louis Rams. Unfortunately, a back injury (a bulging disk) caused him to miss the last 8 games of that season. The next year, his back problems returned, and he only played in 3 games. He decided to retire after the 1996 season due to his health issues.

Career Statistics

Here are some of Alexander Wright's career statistics from his time in the NFL:

Coaching Career and Ministry

After his playing career, Alexander Wright continued to be involved in football. In 1999, he earned a Master's degree in sports management from Lindenwood University.

He coached football at different levels:

• In 2002, he was a temporary head coach for the River City Renegades, an indoor football team.
• In 2003, he coached wide receivers at Francis Howell North High School in Missouri.
• In 2004, he coached wide receivers for West Texas A&M University.
• In 2005, he became the offensive coordinator at Greensboro College in North Carolina.
• He was also the offensive coordinator for Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Texas.
• From 2008 to 2010, he served as the athletic director and head football coach at San Jacinto Christian Academy in Texas. He also helped with the track team there.

Later, Wright moved to San Antonio to focus on his ministry work. He is currently the President and CEO of Alexander Wright Ministries in Amarillo. He also serves as a pastor at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.

See Also

• History of the Dallas Cowboys (1990–present)