Jarius Wright (born November 25, 1989) is an American former professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...

. He was selected by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...

in the fourth round of the

2012 NFL draft The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...

. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

for the

University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. It is the Flagship campus, flagship campus of the University of Arkan ...

Razorbacks, where he was an

All-SEC The All-SEC football team is an annual Southeastern Conference (SEC) honor bestowed on the best players in the conference following every college football season. Seasons Following is a list of all-conference teams in the history of the SEC: * ...

first-team selection in 2011.

Early life

Wright attended Warren High School in

Warren, Arkansas Warren is a city in and the county seat of Bradley County, Arkansas, Bradley County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the population was 6,003. History When settlers from the east began to arrive in sout ...

, where he participated in

, basketball, baseball, and track and was teammates with

Greg Childs Gregory Stuart Childs is a British Children's Media consultant. Career He was the producer of the British television show, ''Record Breakers'', for ten years from 1988 to 1998. In 1998 he launched the first internet services for Children's B ...

and

Chris Gragg Christopher Le'Edward Gragg (born June 30, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end for three seasons with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Gragg played ...

. He was an All-State choice during his junior season when he finished with 51 receptions, 1,086 yards and 15 touchdowns to go with 5 more scores on kick and punt returns. As a senior in 2007, he was named to the All-State team and the All-Arkansas team by the

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' is the newspaper of record in the U.S. state of Arkansas, printed in Little Rock with a northwest edition published in Lowell. It is distributed for sale in all 75 of Arkansas's counties. By virtue of one ...

after racking up 58 receptions for 1,350 yards and 15

touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...

and returning 3

kicks A kick is a physical strike using the leg, in unison usually with an area of the knee or lower using the foot, heel, tibia (shin), ball of the foot, blade of the foot, toes or knee (the latter is also known as a knee strike). This type of a ...

for touchdowns. He also earned a spot on the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

(AP) Super Team. In

track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...

, Wright scored eighth in the

55-meter dash 55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s alm ...

at the 2007 Arkansas 1A-4A Indoor State Championships, and set a personal-best time of 6.79 seconds in the preliminary rounds. In addition, he also owned a 4.4-second

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a he ...

. Regarded as a four-star recruit by ''

Rivals.com Rivals.com (stylized as ''rivals'') is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was found ...

'', Wright was ranked as the No. 218 player in the nation, as well as the No. 18

and No. 3 player in the state of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

. Wright chose Arkansas over scholarship offers from

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

and

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, among others.

College career

Wright played

for the

Razorbacks from 2008 to 2011, and was an

first-team selection as a senior in 2011. He appeared in 50 games during his Arkansas career, making 44 starts and missing only one game during his career. He ranks first in the school's record books in receptions (168) and receiving yards (2,934), and also ranks 5th all-time in SEC history in receiving yards. His 24 career receiving

ranks 2nd in school history and tied for 15th in SEC history. He had 9 100+ yard games, which tied for second in program history. Jarius Wright University of Arkansas

In 2009, Wright was named Arkansas' Outstanding Offensive Player in the

Liberty Bowl The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic Cit ...

against

East Carolina East Carolina University (ECU) is a public university in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. It is the List of universities in North Carolina by enrollment, fourth largest university in North Carolina and the only one in the state with s ...

when he had 4 catches for 90 yards and 1 touchdown. He hauled in a career long 89-yard score in 2010 versus

Mississippi State Mississippi State University for Agriculture and Applied Science, commonly known as Mississippi State University (MSU), is a public land-grant research university in Mississippi State, Mississippi, United States. It is classified among "R ...

. Wright set single-season records for Arkansas as a senior in 2011 with 66 receptions, 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing one game. He was named SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week after torching

Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...

with 13 receptions for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns; the 281 yards was 2nd in SEC history and an Arkansas single-game record, and the 13 receptions tied the record for receptions in a game. For his play, he was a first-team

selection. He helped Arkansas to an 11–2 overall record in 2011, win the Cotton Bowl over

Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...

29–16, and finish ranked #5 in the final polls.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

On April 28, 2012, Wright was selected by the

in the fourth round (118th overall) of the

, joining former college and high school teammate

in the Vikings 2012 draft class, selected 16 spots later (#134 overall). He was the first of three Vikings picks in the 4th Round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He made his NFL debut against the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...

on November 11, 2012, catching three passes from quarterback

Christian Ponder Christian Andrew Ponder (born February 25, 1988) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, and was selected by the ...

for 65 yards and a touchdown. He had the 2 longest catches by Vikings during his rookie season in 2012 with 65 and 54-yarders. He helped set a Vikings record when five rookies started a game vs. the

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...

on November 25, joining

Matt Kalil Matthew Francis Kalil (born July 6, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was selected by the Minnesota Vik ...

, Rhett Ellison, Josh Robinson, and

Harrison Smith Harrison Smith (born February 2, 1989) is an American professional football safety for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected by the Vikings in t ...

2012 season

As a rookie in 2012, Wright hauled in two touchdowns on the season to lead Vikings rookies. He played in final seven regular season games and the Wild Card playoff at Green Bay with one start in the regular season against the Chicago Bears. He reeled in the two longest passes on the Vikings season with a 65 yarder against the Green Bay Packers and a 54-yarder against the Detroit Lions. His first NFL reception in his first game was a 54-yard strike from

against the Detroit Lions. He had a career-high seven catches in his second career game, a road game against the Chicago Bears. He scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yarder from Ponder against the Detroit Lions. In the regulars season finale, he hauled in an eight-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers.

2013 season

In 2013, Wright scored a new career-high with 3 touchdowns, including 2 against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks top-ranked defense and the first one a 38-yard touchdown burning first-team all-pro corner Richard Sherman. He hauled in a career-long 95 receiving yards in an upset win over the playoff-bound

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...

. His lone catch at Cincinnati was a 36-yard touchdown pass from

Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Ka ...

. He started in the season finale game vs. the

, the final game at the Mall of America Field. He started against the

Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...

in place of injured

Greg Jennings Gregory Jennings Jr. (born September 21, 1983) is an American sports television personality and former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with ...

, reeling in a career-best pair of touchdown catches, a 38-yarder from

and a 21-yarder from backup Matt Cassel. He had a season-high 3 catches vs. the

Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...

2014 season

In 2014, Wright had the best season of his career, posting career-highs in starts (7), receptions (42), receiving yards (588) and first downs (25). He also had two touchdown receptions, including one on a screen pass from

Teddy Bridgewater Theodore Edmond Bridgewater Jr. (born November 10, 1992) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Louisville Cardinals, winning the 2013 Sugar Bowl, and was selected as the final first round pick of ...

that he took 87 yards for a game-winning overtime touchdown on December 7 against the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...

. That was the longest reception of his career and the 2nd longest in the NFL that season.

2015 season

On September 10, 2015, Wright signed a four-year contract extension with the Vikings worth $14.8 million, including $7 million guaranteed. The contract began in 2016, after the end of Wright's rookie deal, and would've kept him with the team through 2019. He logged 34 catches for 442 yards in 16 games with 3 starts. He topped 50 yards receiving twice in three weeks after posting 5 catches for 51 yards against the

Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...

and 3 catches for a season-high 57 yards in the Vikings' blowout win over the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

on December 27. He notched a career-long 29-yard carry on a reverse run at Detroit in week 2. He also recorded a 52-yard catch against the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...

in week 6, the second straight year he has posted the Vikings season-long reception.

2016 season

In 2016, Wright played in only eight games, recording a career-low 11 receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown.

2017 season

In 2017, Wright played in 16 games, recording 18 receptions for 198 yards and two touchdowns. On March 16, 2018, Wright was released by the Vikings.

Carolina Panthers

On March 20, 2018, Wright signed a two-year contract with the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...

, reuniting with former Vikings offensive coordinator,

Norv Turner Norval Eugene Turner (born May 17, 1952) is an American football coach who is a senior advisor for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). An offensive assistant for the majority of his coaching career, Turner was the Dallas ...

. In the 2018 season, he had 43 receptions for 447 yards and one touchdown. He returned to play in 2019 with 296 yards receiving, and a full 16-game season for Carolina. Wright had consecutive years of appearing in every regular season game for the Panthers.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Wright studied

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

at the

and was named to the Razorback Honor Roll in the fall of 2011 based on his performance in the classroom. He sponsors an AAU

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team in his hometown. He also sponsors ussa tourney boys baseball in Warren. He is also an avid outdoorsman, enjoys fishing, hiking and boating. His father, Joe Wright, is a retired Arkansas state trooper and Army reservist. His mother, Jeanette Wright, is a retired elementary school teacher.

References

External links

*
Arkansas Razorbacks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Jarius 1989 births Living people American football wide receivers Arkansas Razorbacks football players Carolina Panthers players Minnesota Vikings players People from Warren, Arkansas Players of American football from Arkansas