K. J. Wright facts for kids
Wright with the Seattle Seahawks in 2011
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| San Francisco 49ers | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive quality control coach | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | July 23, 1989 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 246 lb (112 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Olive Branch (Olive Branch, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Mississippi State (2007–2010) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2011 / Round: 4 / Pick: 99 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| As coach: | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
K. J. Wright (born July 23, 1989) is an American football player who used to play professionally as a linebacker. He played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). K. J. Wright is now a coach for the San Francisco 49ers, working as a defensive quality control coach. The Seattle Seahawks picked him in the 2011 NFL draft. Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs team.
Contents
Early Life and High School Sports
K. J. Wright grew up in Olive Branch, Mississippi. He went to Olive Branch High School. There, he was a talented athlete who played three sports: football, basketball, and track.
In football, he was named one of the best defensive players in the state. During his last year of high school, he made 91 tackles. After high school, he was considered a top player in Mississippi. Many big colleges wanted him to play for them, including Auburn and Arkansas. He decided to play for Mississippi State.
College Football Career
K. J. Wright played college football at Mississippi State University. He wore jersey number 34 and played as a linebacker for the Bulldogs.
In his second year, he became a starting player on defense. He continued to start for most of his college career. Even in his senior year, he started 10 out of 12 games.
College Statistics
| Season | Games | Defense | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Sck | PD | FF | QBH | |
| 2007 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 12 | 12 | 72 | 4.0 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| 2009 | 12 | 10 | 81 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2010 | 13 | 13 | 98 | 4.0 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
| Career | 47 | 35 | 258 | 14.0 | 14 | 3 | 11 |
Professional Football Journey
Joining the NFL
Before the NFL draft, K. J. Wright showed off his skills at special events like the Senior Bowl and the NFL Scouting Combine. Experts thought he would be picked in the third round of the draft.
The Seattle Seahawks chose Wright in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was the 99th player picked overall. The Seahawks coaches liked his potential as a strong linebacker. In July 2011, he signed a four-year contract with the team.
Seattle Seahawks Years (2011–2020)
2011: Rookie Season
Wright quickly impressed his coaches. He started his first professional game against the San Francisco 49ers. He made five tackles in that game. Later in the season, he became the main strong side linebacker. In December, he got his first NFL sack and made a season-high eight tackles in another game. He finished his first year with 65 tackles and two sacks.
2012: Stepping Up
In 2012, Wright continued as a starting linebacker. He took on more responsibility, helping to call plays for the defense. He had a great game against the Green Bay Packers, making 11 tackles. He also got his first career interception against the Buffalo Bills. He finished the season with 98 tackles and played in almost all of the Seahawks' defensive plays. The Seahawks made it to the playoffs, and Wright played in both playoff games.
2013: Super Bowl Champion
Wright, along with Bobby Wagner and Malcolm Smith, formed a strong group of linebackers for the Seahawks. He continued to make many tackles and sacks. Even though he missed some games due to a foot injury, he returned for the playoffs. The Seahawks had the best defense in the league that year.
On February 2, 2014, Wright started in Super Bowl XLVIII. He made seven tackles as the Seahawks easily beat the Denver Broncos 43–8, winning the Super Bowl!
2014: Another Super Bowl Appearance
In December 2014, Wright signed a big four-year contract extension with the Seahawks. He became one of the highest-paid outside linebackers in the NFL. He had a fantastic season, making a career-high 107 tackles. This was his first season starting all 16 games and getting over 100 tackles.
The Seahawks made it to the Super Bowl XLIX again. On February 1, 2015, Wright made 11 tackles in the game, but the New England Patriots won 28–24.
2015: Strong Performance
Wright continued to be a key player for the Seahawks defense. He had a moment where he was ejected from a game after a fight with another player. Later, he was involved in a controversial play where he batted a fumbled ball out of the end zone, which should have been a penalty. Despite these moments, he had a very productive season, making 115 tackles. Experts ranked him as one of the best linebackers in the league. The Seahawks made the playoffs again.
2016: Pro Bowl Season
Wright had an amazing 2016 season. He made a career-high 126 tackles and four sacks. His strong play earned him a spot in the 2017 Pro Bowl, which is a special game where the best players from the NFL play against each other. This was his first time being selected for the Pro Bowl.
2017: Consistent Play
Wright continued to be a starting linebacker for the Seahawks. He had a game where he made a season-high 15 tackles. He also got his first interception since 2012. He finished the season with 108 tackles. The Seahawks did not make the playoffs this year, which was the first time since his rookie season.
2018: Dealing with Injury
Wright had knee surgery before the 2018 season, which caused him to miss the first six games. He returned to play but had to leave some games early due to his knee injury. He played in five games this season.
2019: Big Tackles and Interceptions
On March 14, 2019, Wright signed a new two-year contract with the Seahawks. He had a very strong season, making 132 tackles, which was his career high. He also had three interceptions, including two in one game against the Carolina Panthers. He finished the season ranked 11th in total tackles across the entire NFL.
2020: Final Seahawks Season
In his last season with the Seahawks, Wright continued to make big plays. In one game, he intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble. He also got his first sack since 2016. He was recognized for his great performance by being named to the NFL Top 100 list, which ranks the best players in the league.
Las Vegas Raiders (2021)
On September 6, 2021, K. J. Wright signed a one-year contract to play for the Las Vegas Raiders. This reunited him with his former Seahawks coach, Gus Bradley.
Retirement
On July 27, 2022, K. J. Wright officially retired from professional football. He signed a special one-day contract to retire as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, the team where he spent most of his career.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, K. J. Wright began a new chapter in his football journey as a coach. On March 4, 2024, he announced that he was hired as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers. His official title was later changed to defensive quality control coach.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||
| 2011 | SEA | 16 | 12 | 65 | 50 | 15 | 2.0 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2012 | SEA | 15 | 15 | 98 | 68 | 30 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 0 | 5 |
| 2013 | SEA | 13 | 13 | 80 | 46 | 34 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2014 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 107 | 73 | 34 | 2.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2015 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 116 | 71 | 45 | 1.0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2016 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 126 | 72 | 54 | 4.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2017 | SEA | 15 | 15 | 108 | 71 | 37 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 2018 | SEA | 5 | 5 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 132 | 67 | 65 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 11 |
| 2020 | SEA | 16 | 16 | 86 | 60 | 26 | 2.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 2021 | LV | 17 | 8 | 51 | 25 | 26 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 161 | 148 | 992 | 618 | 374 | 13.5 | 11 | 9 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 42 | 0 | 54 | |
Personal Life
In 2015, K. J. Wright asked his girlfriend, Nathalie, to marry him during a tour of a Boeing factory. They got married on May 27, 2017, in Seattle. They have two sons together. The Wright family was even featured on a TV show called House Hunters in 2019.
Images for kids
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Wright (#50) playing for the Seahawks in 2020.
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