On the Wright path

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Tomas Wright has always been able to get to the quarterback. Now, the All-NEC defensive end is showing he can do more than that.

The senior from St. Augustine, Florida, put together one of the most impressive seasons for a defensive player in program history last fall, posting a program-record 12.5 sacks. He earned All-NEC First Team honors and was an All-ECAC selection.

"What stood out to me the most was how prepared I was to step up and play at a high level when the opportunity presented itself," Wright said. "I think I proved to myself and to the country that I am one of the best defensive linemen in the FCS."

Wright, however, knew there was more he could do. He wanted to be better in the run game. So, Wright dedicated his offseason to getting bigger and stronger so that he could be a multi-dimensional threat. Working with Bryant's strength coaches Craig Buckley and Kenny Pennini, Wright transformed his body, increasing his weight from 220 to 235.

"I have become more of a consistent player who can stop both the run and the pass," Wright said. "I could always rush the passer but now I am physically prepared to play the run as well."

Three games into the 2019 season, Wright has continued to showcase why he'll go down as one of the top defensive players in program history. He posted four tackles but was a menace all game long at Stony Brook, and then had seven tackles and 2.0 TFLs at Albany at week two. Wright showed off his evolution from just a pass rusher to an all-around defensive threat last week against Fordham, making a career-high 11 tackles and posting a strip sack.

Wright has now played in 36 career games and he finds himself among some of the best to ever don the Black and Gold. He's tied with Mark Gunther for third in career sacks with 23.0, just three behind Thomas Costigan and six back of Jeff Covitz. Wright also moved into the top 10 for career TFLs, becoming just the eighth player in school history with 30+ career TFLs.

"It's unreal to be mentioned with some of the best defensive players in Bryant history," Wright said. "It is a huge honor to be mentioned alongside those who paved the way for us. I just have to continue to work on the little things each and every day."

And while Wright continues to hone his craft on the field, he spent the summer taking the train from Providence to Boston for an internship at PTC. Wright used the internship to set himself up for the future and now he has shifted his focus to walking across the stage at graduation with an NEC championship ring on his finger.

"One of the biggest dreams as a kid was to walk across that stage with a college degree in my hand," Wright said. "Bryant University is one of the top business schools in the country and it is respected heavily in the corporate world. Earning a degree from Bryant as a student-athlete will be an amazing accomplishment that I can't wait to achieve."