Remound Wright visited Stanford’s campus during Bishop Dwenger’s spring break in April.
He knew then it’d be his college destination in 2011.
The palm trees, the landscaping, the architecture with old Spanish-style buildings, and, yes, the mall on campus. It all was “beautiful.”
But Wright didn’t want to make a decision based on emotion.
So he took another visit the next weekend, this time to Iowa. And he found himself comparing that campus to Stanford’s.
It didn’t stack up. Nothing did.
So about two months after his visit, Wright officially made his decision. He called to tell the Cardinal football coaches Thursday night and then announced the decision on his Twitter page with a “thank God.”
For the 5-foot-9, 204-pound running back, Stanford was the right fit on every level.
“It had everything I was looking for,” Wright said in a telephone interview Friday after participating in the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp in Detroit. “Great academics, great facilities, great coaches and their football program is starting to do really well. I feel like my recruiting class can help them get to that next level and win a Rose Bowl.”
Wright was first-team all-state last season after rushing for 2,049 yards and scoring 40 touchdowns. That effort helped Wright pile up scholarship offers. Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota, Boston College, Wisconsin and Michigan State, among others, had offered. But after going to Palo Alto near California’s Bay Area, he was sold on being a Cardinal.
And not just for athletics.
Academics were important for Wright, who has a 4.42 GPA on a 4.0 scale. He intends to study psychology and said Stanford has the top program in the country.
But Wright also is hoping to contribute on the field.
With Heisman Trophy candidate Toby Gerhart in the NFL, the Cardinal had six running backs and two fullbacks listed on its 2010 spring roster. Two of those players will be graduated by the time Wright enrolls in 2011, and four will be juniors.
“I feel like as long as I work hard, my skills will get me through the rest,” Wright said. “The best man will play. I’m not too worried about it.
“Their offense is a really good fit for the style I was looking to play in because they have a pro-style offense.”
For now, though, Wright’s focus is on Bishop Dwenger and getting that elusive state championship.
The Saints were Class 4A runners-up in 2008 and ended their season at semi-state last year.
With Wright in the backfield, Dwenger certainly would seem to have a chance for a strong season again.
“He can do a lot of things,” Saints coach Chris Svarczkopf said. “Offensively, he’s already broken the career touchdown record at our school. He had 40. … He can score as a running back. He can score as a receiver. We ask him to return kicks, punts and kickoffs. He’s a threat to score there. He also is an outstanding defensive player. We’ll try to put him on the opponent’s best receiver, and he had a total of 10 interceptions.
“So he does a little bit of everything and does it all well.”
