Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Life as a Mountaineer - Winston Wright Jr.
October 31, 2021 01:06 PM | Football
Winston Wright Jr. says he's not much of a talker when he's getting ready for football games.
"When game time comes I just kind of get into a quiet mode and then when I get out there I'm just focused and it all comes out, the passion," he says. "In the everyday world I'm just holding in and when I'm doing something I love I don't have to worry about anything. I can just do me and do what I love."
So, how did a guy from Savannah, Georgia, end up in Morgantown, West Virginia, anyway?
"When I first got this offer I was watching Tavon Austin all day in class that day," Winston explains. "I went home and me and my dad talked about it. When I got on a visit it checked all of the boxes and I wanted to come here."
It turns out Wright was a big fan of Tavon Austin when he was younger.
"I used to look up to him watching his highlights because he was one of the most electrifying players in the country and when I looked at his highlights I wanted to be like him. Being able to go to the school he went to it was big," he says. "When I came to West Virginia everybody was kind of comparing me to him when I was in high school so me being able to wear his number is very special."
Winston was certainly special during Saturday's 38-31 win over 22nd-ranked Iowa State. He scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished the game with six catches for 100 yards.
He leads the team with 42 catches for 523 yards and he's also one of the top kickoff returners in the country with two long returns in the season opener against Maryland and one for a touchdown to begin the Long Island game.
His first kickoff return for a TD came during his freshman season at Baylor in 2019.
"I would say this year I really upped my (return) game," he says. "I really took it serious so it's kind of the little things that have helped. Coach (Chad) Scott has really helped me be able to read and set up my blocks to make it easier for me and I love it now."
Wright admits he really didn't know what he was doing in the return game when he first started doing it as a freshman.
"The starting returner got hurt so that was the first time returning (against Baylor)," he says. "When I got in the game I just pictured what I was doing in practice and it kind of worked. Me and coach Scott talk a lot about it and he gave me some chores to do so when I'm in practice. I'm just imagining in games when the moment comes it's just natural."
Wright says whenever he's going through hard times, such as during West Virginia's recent three-game losing streak, he just remembers his roots.
"I just think where I came from to kind of motivate me," he says. "A lot of people where I'm from don't get to play college football so this means a lot to me."
It's meaning even more to him now after a couple of wins against TCU and Iowa State, with four games remaining in the regular season against 15th-ranked Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas and Kansas to make even more memories.
This week's Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sean Merinar and is presented by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
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"When game time comes I just kind of get into a quiet mode and then when I get out there I'm just focused and it all comes out, the passion," he says. "In the everyday world I'm just holding in and when I'm doing something I love I don't have to worry about anything. I can just do me and do what I love."
So, how did a guy from Savannah, Georgia, end up in Morgantown, West Virginia, anyway?
"When I first got this offer I was watching Tavon Austin all day in class that day," Winston explains. "I went home and me and my dad talked about it. When I got on a visit it checked all of the boxes and I wanted to come here."
It turns out Wright was a big fan of Tavon Austin when he was younger.
"I used to look up to him watching his highlights because he was one of the most electrifying players in the country and when I looked at his highlights I wanted to be like him. Being able to go to the school he went to it was big," he says. "When I came to West Virginia everybody was kind of comparing me to him when I was in high school so me being able to wear his number is very special."
Winston was certainly special during Saturday's 38-31 win over 22nd-ranked Iowa State. He scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter and finished the game with six catches for 100 yards.
He leads the team with 42 catches for 523 yards and he's also one of the top kickoff returners in the country with two long returns in the season opener against Maryland and one for a touchdown to begin the Long Island game.
His first kickoff return for a TD came during his freshman season at Baylor in 2019.
"I would say this year I really upped my (return) game," he says. "I really took it serious so it's kind of the little things that have helped. Coach (Chad) Scott has really helped me be able to read and set up my blocks to make it easier for me and I love it now."
Wright admits he really didn't know what he was doing in the return game when he first started doing it as a freshman.
"The starting returner got hurt so that was the first time returning (against Baylor)," he says. "When I got in the game I just pictured what I was doing in practice and it kind of worked. Me and coach Scott talk a lot about it and he gave me some chores to do so when I'm in practice. I'm just imagining in games when the moment comes it's just natural."
Wright says whenever he's going through hard times, such as during West Virginia's recent three-game losing streak, he just remembers his roots.
"I just think where I came from to kind of motivate me," he says. "A lot of people where I'm from don't get to play college football so this means a lot to me."
It's meaning even more to him now after a couple of wins against TCU and Iowa State, with four games remaining in the regular season against 15th-ranked Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas and Kansas to make even more memories.
This week's Life as a Mountaineer was produced by Sean Merinar and is presented by Panhandle Cleaning & Restoration.
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