Damon Wright '17 Recruiting Profile

The first year I strapped on shoulder pads, I had the privilege of being on a championship team. The next year, my team didn’t win a single game. Both seasons taught me the importance of working hard and never giving up—lessons I want to teach others as a football player and a communications professional.

Working hard enabled me to be a major defensive contributor (74 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 12 hurries, 6 sacks) on the 2015 Spain Park varsity football team, which made it to the Alabama 7A Championship game. It enabled me to become the number-two shot-put thrower in the state. It enabled me to earn one of the most prestigious honors awarded by my school district—the Finley Character Award—as well as the opportunity to mentor elementary and middle school students as a Peer Helper during my upcoming senior year.

Never giving up is something I learned from my father, who, despite growing up in one of the most notorious housing projects in Philadelphia, Pa., is one of the leading journalists in Birmingham, Ala. It’s something I learned from my brother, who proudly serves our country as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army. It’s something I learn daily from my mom, my coaches, and my teachers—all of whom serve as my support network, encouraging me through the toughest life, athletic, and academic challenges.

Working hard and never giving up make me who I am. I am confident that these characteristics will enable me to make valuable contributions to my future university—and beyond.