Scooby Wright III's focus is permanently shifted to the present and future. He's never had a reason to lament on the past, only on how he can thrive amid less than ideal circumstances.
Wright, one of college football's top defensive players in 2014 before an injury-shortened 2015, waited and waited and waited through last week's three-day NFL Draft. Days and hours passed before the Browns selected Wright, a former Arizona linebacker, with their 14th and final pick at No. 250.
Wright was four spots away from going undrafted.
"It wouldn't be a Scooby Wright story if there wasn't a little adversity thrown in there," he said Tuesday on an interview with 92.3 The Fan’s “Baskin and Phelps.”
"I'm just focused on the now. I got my opportunity and I'm going to go take it."
The Browns selected linebacker Scooby Wright III with their final pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.
That opportunity was hindered a bit by a knee injury that kept him off the field for all but two of Arizona's regular season games in 2015. In fitting fashion, he came back at less than 100 percent for the Wildcats' bowl game and racked up 15 tackles and two sacks.
Asked if the knee is fully healed, Wright simply pointed to the viral video he posted Saturday shortly after the Browns drafted him.
"I high-jumped over a 4-foot fence (into a pool)," Wright said. "I think it's safe to say I'm the healthiest I've been."
Wright was a two-star recruit out of high school who made good on his one and only scholarship offer. His Twitter handle is "TwoStarScoob" but he was every bit a five-star for Arizona, starting as a true freshman and blossoming to a completely different level as a sophomore. The unanimous All-American ranked in the top five among all players for total tackles (163), tackles for loss (29.0), sacks (14.0) and forced fumbles (6).
Revered for his instincts and "insane amount of competitive fire," the 6-foot, 239-pound Wright carries confidence he belongs in the NFL. Even though his entrance to the league wasn't what many expected, he's prepared to bounce back just like he's done in the past.
"I'm just ready to get in camp and ready to play ball, to be honest," Wright said. "I feel like I haven't played football in a long time."
