Louis Wright (American football) facts for kids
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| Position: | Cornerback | ||||||||
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| Born: | January 31, 1953 Gilmer, Texas, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bakersfield (CA) | ||||||||
| College: | San Jose State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Louis Donnel Wright (born January 31, 1953) is a former American football player. He played as a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). Louis Wright spent his whole 12-year career with the Denver Broncos. He played for them from 1975 to 1986. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times during his career.
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College Football Career
Louis Wright started his college football journey at Arizona State University. Later, he moved to San José State. He played as a starting cornerback for two years at San José State. During his time there, he made 3 interceptions.
Track and Field Achievements
Besides football, Louis Wright was also great at track and field. He earned two "letters" for his skills in this sport. A letter is an award given to college athletes. He achieved a long jump distance of 25 feet, 7 inches. This jump is still one of the top five in his school's history. He also ran the 100-meter dash in just 9.6 seconds.
Post-College Games and Hall of Fame
After his senior year, Wright played in two important games. These were the 1974 East-West Shrine Game and the 1974 Senior Bowl. These games feature top college players. Later, he was honored by being inducted into the San José State University Hall of Fame.
NFL Career with the Denver Broncos
| “They use a term today of shutdown cornerback." "We didn't have that term back then, but Louie Wright was a shutdown cornerback. He was a great run defender. He played the left side and in those days most teams were right-handed and their running plays usually went to our left side.” |
| Joe Collier |
The Denver Broncos picked Louis Wright in the 1975 NFL draft. He was the 17th player chosen overall. He quickly became an important player for the team. As a rookie, he started 11 games. He also made 2 interceptions and recovered a fumble.
Breakout Seasons and "Lou-dini" Nickname
The year 1977 was a big one for Wright. He intercepted 3 passes and ran one back for a touchdown. He also helped the Broncos reach Super Bowl XII. He was named a First-team All-Pro in 1978 and 1979. Being All-Pro means you are one of the best players in the league. In 1979, he returned a fumble 82 yards for another touchdown.
Wright was known for his excellent skills in covering receivers. He was also one of the best cornerbacks at stopping running plays. Because of his amazing plays, he earned the nickname "Lou-dini." This nickname was a play on the famous magician Houdini.
Later Career Highlights
In 1983, Wright had one of his best seasons. He intercepted a career-high 6 passes. He was again named First-team All-Pro. In 1984, he scored his second fumble return touchdown. He was once more named First-team All-Pro by different sports groups.
In 1985, he intercepted 5 passes. He also scored his fourth and final touchdown. This happened in a game against the San Diego Chargers. He returned a blocked field goal 60 yards for the winning score in overtime. His final NFL season was in 1986. He made 3 interceptions that year. He helped the Broncos reach Super Bowl XXI.
Career Totals and Honors
During his NFL career, Louis Wright had 26 interceptions. He gained 360 yards from these interceptions and scored 1 touchdown. He also recovered 11 fumbles, returning two of them for touchdowns.
In 1993, he was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. This honor celebrates the greatest players in Broncos history. He was also named to the National Football League 1970s All-Decade Team. This team includes the best players from the 1970s. However, he is one of only four defensive players on that list who are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career
Today, Louis Wright is a teacher. He is also an assistant football coach. He works at Gateway High School in Aurora, Colorado.
