FORT MEADE – You cannot put a price tag on the value of what a two-way player means to a coach. Someone that can be trusted to produce no matter what unit is on the field is becoming a lost art at the collegiate level, but you can still find guys that will be present-and-accounted-for every single snap on Friday nights.
It takes a special kind of commitment to sacrifice your body for that many plays each-and-every week. One that requires your mental state to tell your body to “shut-up and play” once the pads are on and then “shut-up and recover–quickly, please” once the pads come off. It’s infinitely easier said than done, and oh yeah–stuffed in-between all of that physical work is the mental work that gets done in the film room having to breakdown both sides of the ball.
One such individual that is trying his best to become the epitome of a two-way contributor is Fort Meade’s Jy’Quez Wright. The 5-foot-8, 195-pound versatile playmaker is just finishing up his sophomore season, but the Miners’ free safety–and now ATH on offense–is back on his grind-mode trying to get even better this offseason.
Wright rushed for just 20 yards and caught two passes for 85 yards and a touchdown on the offensive side of the ball, but there’s obvious reasons why the coaching staff are trying to integrate his skills even more into the fold next season once you watch his highlights.
“We are going to expand his role on the offensive of the ball next season,” said Fort Meade Head Coach, Jemalle Cornelius. “Jy’Quez has made his training regimen a priority and he is really working hard this offseason to prepare himself for an expanded role next year. I am excited to see him play during 2016.”
We mentioned offense, but as you may have figured out–that’s not all. Wright finished the season with 35 tackles, along with a laundry list of impact plays on special teams for Fort Meade–a team that sat atop the Class 1A polls for nearly the entire season until their loss down in Pahokee.
“He had a very big impact on our teams success this past season. He blocked 4 punts for us–2 of which were returned for touchdowns. He also chipped in with 4 forced fumbles and an interception. He even returned a kickoff for us,” said Cornelius. “Jy’Quez is a natural leader, he is a hard working kid that is self-motivated. He has a very strong support system. His family is known for producing respectful quality young men, that are also skilled athletes. He is the first cousin of two other athletes on our team that have the same make up, Cleveland Reed and Bryce Nelson. He’s competitor–the type of young man you want to represent your program.”
The great programs and staffs give the best feedback, however–and if you’re not willing to take the heat, then please proceed from the kitchen. Although Wright’s season would be considered a huge success to many, there’s another quality that helps guide the young man through this process–and that’s a little humility. When it came time for the evaluation period following the season, the staff–and Wright alike–agreed that things are good–but it’s time to become great.
“I would grade his 2015 a solid B, he made some plays for us, but just like anybody else they are some things that he can improve on. He is a playmaker by nature–he is always looking to make a play so sometimes his eyes get him into trouble. We don’t want to take away from his aggressiveness or instinctiveness, but he can improve in his route recognition and eye discipline. He understands that and is working on it. The thing that I have been most impressed with him at this point during the offseason is he has taken it upon himself to watch more film and evaluate himself. That says a lot about him.”