NFL Draft 2016: Scooby Wright III Unplugged

We caught up with Arizona Football player turning pro and fan favorite, Scooby Wright, as he prepares for his upcoming Arizona Pro Day and the 2016 NFL Draft.

This week is a huge week for Arizona Football players declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft. The NFL scouts will be showing up and standing in line to get to know Scooby Wright, find out more about his character and see him in action in person to decide if he is the player they want to draft.

Scooby met NFL team General Managers and coaches at the NFL Combine last month. It was a tiring and grueling couple days filled with interviews, tests, and scrutiny, but it was exciting. Wright and his teammate Cayleb Jones were the only two players out of the 17 taking part in Arizona’s Pro Day on March 24, 2016.

What was the NFL Combine like from Wright’s point of view? “It was super tense and just exhausting. It was cool just to be there and meet all the NFL teams and the GM’s and the head coaches.” The interview questions are asking in an attempt to judge draftee’s character and mental stability.

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“I got some weird questions,” Scooby explained, Like, ‘Do you think your mother is attractive?’ A question like that would take anyone back, but Wright breezed through them all. “The questions were pretty easy; there definitely is a bunch of personality questions in there, no way to plan for that, not at all.”

I was curious if players are alone at the combine, or do they get to know other players? “I was training with Deion Jones, out of LSU, he played linebacker, so we became pretty tight,” he said, “We made sure we had each other’s best interest in mind and helped each other push each other along the way.”

Rob Rang of CBS Sports compares Scooby to “Chris Borland, ex-San Francisco 49ers LB: Like the former 49ers standout, Wright is a better football player than athlete, winning with terrific instincts, generally reliable open-field tackling and a knack for producing big plays.”

I wondered what motivated Scooby to get through the NFL Combine and what motivates him to push forward to Pro Day, “I’m just kind of enjoying the process the best I can..not too many people go through this, and I’m just trying to soak it all in, to be honest.”

Coming to Tucson is something he can’t wait to do; he feels comfortable back at ‘home’ and looks forward to another day of scrutiny but in his own house. It’s all worth it because he has dreamed of this since he was a child. “It’s been a dream of mine as long as I could remember, and in a couple of months from now, my name’s going to get called, and it will be one more thing to check off on my goals.”

On draft day, he plans to be home in California (his first home) with close family and friends, and everybody who’s really been there for him. He’s looking forward to this cool experience, knowing that everybody’s hard work they put into helping him live his dream will be with him when his name is called.

One coach who has stuck by Scooby and checks in with him regularly is former Arizona Defensive Coordinator Coach Casteel. “I have probably talked to coach Casteel for two days out of the week for a good 30 minutes, and him and coach Chris Allen, the strength coach and Parker Whiteman, and former strength coach Irwin?? I probably have a text message from those guys every other day.”

One thing Scooby is looking forward to most is being back on campus, he feels it is his home, and rightly so. “I think it will definitely be good, just to be home and be back in Tucson, to be honest. I was really homesick I was really tense and stuff when I was at the combine just doing my best,” he explained, “I am just excited to be home and be comfortable where I’m going to be to perform.”

Scooby is always open to learning more about his craft; I asked him if he could sit down and talk to someone in the NFL, who would it be? “Clay Matthews, I think it would be super cool, just to sit down with him and just learn some cuz everyone has their own little tricks and stuff. I think that would be a really cool thing to do.” He would ask him what he would do in certain situations; he also would like to meet Navorro Bowman, linebacker for the 49ers.

Bowman was drafted by the San Fransisco 49ers in the third round (No. 91), which is about the projection for Wright. We all know Scooby’s story, he went from getting one college offer to getting these nine prestigious awards in his 2014 season to now entering the NFL Draft:

1. Unanimous All-American(2014)
2. Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2014) first sophomore to ever win
3. First-team All-Pac-12(2014)
4. CBS Sports Defensive Player of the Year (2014)
5. SB Nation Defensive Player of the Year (2014)
6. Bronko Nagurski Trophy (2014)
7. Rotary Lombardi Award (2014)
8. Chuck Bednarik Award (2014)
9. Jack Lambert Award (2014)

Never count this man out, he is as determined as he ever has been. Scooby has that rare quality that you don’t find in most people. He has that ‘never give up and follow your dreams’ mentality that gets him everywhere and rubs off on those around him.

Which quarterback does he want to sack the most? “I honestly haven’t thought that far. I always had my best play against him (Marcus Mariota), I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t have my best plays against him.”

We had a chuckle over that; I’m sure Mariota is hoping Wright is drafted by the Tennessee Titans so that he doesn’t have to face him in the NFL.

Getting ready for Arizona Pro Day, Scooby is focused on, “Getting better, that I peak at the right time, I’m not too tired, and I have the confidence. Just know that I can go out there and do it.”

He’s eating “lots of chicken and rice and stuff like that, broccoli, sometimes I eat a steak if I’m craving red meat.” He currently weighs in at 241 lbs, “I feel really good at this weight, that I can play, and I feel strong.” Um…yeah, take in this photo, he’s looking ripped and ready!

I asked him to tell us the funniest thing that happened in the locker room while he was Arizona, he thought about it, but couldn’t think of any story appropriate for print. Now I’m totally curious.

Every player has a favorite game they will never forget in an Arizona Wildcats uniform, for Scooby, it’s the Oregon game, ‘that’ Oregon game. “In my sophomore year, we were playing Oregon the first time, and I stripped the Heisman Trophy winner (Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota), to win the game,” he said.

Totally agree Scooby, that play will go down in history and be inscribed in Arizona Wildcats fans minds forever. In case we didn’t say it before, thank you for that play!

Arizona Wildcats

Against ASU, last season in Tempe, he felt confident in his squad before the game, “I definitely thought we could go out there and compete with them. It was a tough game, and defensively we played great, and I was happy about that.” No doubt, he has no love for ASU, “That school up North!”

If you were wondering what he was doing on the sidelines while healing, he was mentoring his young teammates, “Me and Cody Ippolito, we learned so much football in the past couple months when we were hurt, that we were able to call out the plays, almost like 6 for 10, 7 for 10 on calling up a play to the side and where it was going, so we kind of just passed on that knowledge.”

Anyone in particular? “Paul Magloire, who technically never played linebacker before..because he’s a good athlete, I always tried to make sure he knew what he was doing to make him more successful.”

How does he feel Cody Ippolito is going to do this upcoming season? “Cody is one of the best players, he plays hard, he’s smart, and he’s tough. Even when Cody and I played, I would watch Cody and do stuff differently,” he continued with admiration, “Cody’s a great football player.” He agreed that the Wildcats were in good hands with Ippolito.

Hate to tell you ladies, but Scooby is off the market, and his girlfriend is a huge Arizona Wildcats fan.  When I asked him what he likes to do for fun, he said, “To be completely honest when I’m not working out, or when I’m not eating, or hanging out with family, I’d probably be sleeping.” Ah, the life of a soon-to-be professional athlete.

Wright let us in on his favorite football movie of all time, “My favorite football movie ever is ‘

The Replacements’

with Keanu Reeves. You should watch it!”

I looked the movie up on IMDB. Released in the year 2000, it’s about an NFL strike or player walkout, so Reeves and a bunch of misfit fun loving characters are hired by NFL owners to replace the pros and play the game of football. The locker room scenes alone were funny from what I could tell.

Just goes to show you how much this man loves the game of football, this is a joyous movie. I can’t wait to watch it now.

Scooby told me a very heartwarming story he wanted to share with the fans, something he was very appreciative to have happened. It’s so unique that I wanted to include it in its entirety, it plays like a movie script, and we would love to know if you know the name of this little boy.

"Probably hands down the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me..after the Washington State day game, the game ended…everybody was super down, and I was super down.Oct 19, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats fans Crystal Nava Mario Nava and Tonantzin Nava before the game against the Utah Utes at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY SportsI feel like if I was out there it could have been a better outcome. When I played Washington State my sophomore year, I had three sacks and three fumbles. I really wanted to play Washington State again because I could have gotten a lot of sacks in that game to add to my career total.After the game, I am walking out of the double doors to the locker room, and I am signing some autographs, I am super down but I’m being nice and stuff, and I’m being very appreciative of the fans.I am walking away, and this one kid comes up to me and he hands me a poster, a really big poster..one those signs you see people holding up at the airport..this kid wrote ‘Get well soon Scooby, we love you,’ and he said, “Here Scooby” I didn’t get a chance to get his name.This kid  handed to me, he’s wearing a baseball cap and a red Wildcats jersey with 33 on it. I guess he brought it around at the tailgate and had people sign it. It looked like the entire Wildcats tailgate signed it. That was one of the coolest things that ever happened to me at the University of Arizona. My mom started tearing up.”I grew up being one of those kids, so I always want to be nice to people when I was older."

Here’s an excellent compilation of Wrights college career highlights care of NLFDraftGeek.com:

Notice to NFL Scouts,

Almost every coach on the weekly Pac-12 teleconference call when asked about having to play against Scooby (when he was healthy) gave him high praise! When they talked about not having to play against him (when he was out), they would let out a humongous sigh of relief first, then gave him high praise.

He made a difference on the Arizona football team against all those UCLA, USC, and other Pac-12 players you are considering, as well as one Heisman Trophy winner, and he will make a difference in the NFL.

If you are looking for a defensive lineman with a heart of gold, a drive like no other, a man who never gives up against all odds, has off the chart character, who can change the outcome of the game in one play, our Wildcat is the guy for you!

Signed,

Wildcats fans everywhere

BearDown Scooby!