Manuel Wright
DT #92 USC

PROFILE:

USC junior-to-be defensive tackle MANUEL WRIGHT (#92) started twice as a sophomore versus Arizona and BYU... recorded a total of 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries... top games from 2003/2004 include Michigan (2003), BYU (2004), California (2004), Colorado State (2004), Washington State (2004), Oklahoma (2004)... has had a few minor injuries; sprained right elbow, which happened in the second-half of the Arizona State contest... missed games against Notre Dame and UCLA with a sprained left ankle, which happened against Arizona... missed one game during his freshman year due to an infection in his chin... attended Long Beach CC (CA) in 2002 in order to work on his grades, but did not play football... played high school football at Poly High School in Long Beach along with several other top-rated USC prospects... three-technique defensive tackle with first-round ability, but has not always played at that level... needs to make better use of his hands to get off blocks... plays with good balance and lateral quickness for a player of his size... shows good ball recognition... takes off a few downs here and there... said to be a coachable guy with solid motor on the field... talent level falls somewhere between Albert Haynesworth (Tennessee) and Marquise Hill (New England)...

Has been as high as 365 pounds, according to his father, coming into his true freshman year, but lost a fair amount of weight before the start of that season, and played at around 325-335 pounds... has gotten into much better shape during the past three years... has good definition to his arms and upper body... still has a small gut in the middle, but not to the point where he does not look to be in about 90% of the shape he would want to be at this time of year... currently, he is right at or above 6-foot-6 (6060) and 315-320 pounds... will likely look to workout for teams around 300-310 pounds... was timed in the mid-to-late 4.8 range at a lower weight coming out of high school (before adding weight before arriving at USC)... #92 on game film... the NFL Supplemental Draft is set to occur on July 10th, so you can expect Wright's "Pro Day" workout to happen sometime in mid-to-late June.

"USC'S MANUEL WRIGHT OPTS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL DRAFT":
"Full Coverage of the press conference, quotes and news/notes on Wright":

The actual press conference to announce his intentions to declare for the NFL's Supplemental Draft (July 10th) took place on the campus of Poly High School in Long Beach, California on Wednesday afternoon... it started at 3pm and lasted for about 45 minutes... Manuel Wright, his parents, several supporters, and members of the media were in attendance, as was Marques Anderson, a former Poly High School standout, who is now a member of the Oakland Raiders...

PRESS CONFERENCE COVERAGE:

"(I) had a conversation with coach Pete Carroll (today) we thanked him for the opportunity to play at USC and to help win these two National Championships"... "Coach Carroll responded in a positive manner, saying there was no problems between us and the school... and that he too wanted the relationship between USC and the Wright family to be straighted out before he (Manny) left"... explained his father, Terence Wright...

"Manny has gotten calls from teams who have said they would draft him if he declared, but they have never really told us a round or anything like that", according to his mother, Donna Wright...

"(He) plans to train in Denver at a facility run by his new agents (All-Pro Sports & Entertainment)"... "(He) has qualified for a line of credit ($50,000) and will also be receiving a new range rover later this week"... explained a family acquaintance in attendance at the press conference... Manuel Wright himself later confirmed these details to a person covering the event...

"Would have needed to pass 14 out of the 18 credits he was taking this spring in order to become academically qualified for the start of fall drills... as of recent days he would have not received a passing graded in three of those classes, covering nine credits, which is when Manuel and our family decided to look in the direction of the Supplemental Draft"... explained his father, Terence Wright in a conversation earlier this week...

"He's just a kid that did not always push himself in the classroom... but he loves to play football... heck, he (Manny) would have declared out of high school... he just wants to be a great professional and I think that people will see that over the coming years", according to one Poly High School supporter that has seen/known Manuel Wright...

NEWS & NOTES:

According to those interviewed they have decribed Wright as having laid back personality, can be a little flashy at times, will go with the flow, and for the most part is a good kid... he has always played his best in big games and gives you the motor you look for on game day no matter what else is going on...

Wright and/or his father were not allowed to obtain the NFL Advisory Committee paperwork from the USC coaching staff or administration on at least one occasion, as they (USC) had hoped his academic problems could have been rectified over the summer...

He had no academic issues at Poly High School, but struggled with the SAT, as he required a year at Long Beach CC in order to receive a passing grade on the SAT to qualify at USC... had been academically eligible until the start of this spring, although some, including his father, feel the loss of his former defensive line coach, Ed Orgeron, who left to become the head coach at Ole Miss, started his academic slide, as Orgeron was known to be strict with him keeping up his grades and classwork...