Noah Wright Perseveres To Become One of State's Best
Noah Wright gets a sack earlier in the year versus West Hills.
By Nick Giannandrea
COS Athletics
After sitting out a season to tend to a family emergency, Noah Wright is on the verge of realizing his dream of playing major college football.
College of the Sequoias' sophomore defensive tackle already has an official scholarship offer from San Jose State.
COS coach Joe D'Agostino said UCLA has visited campus three times to scout the 6-foot-5, 330-pound Wright, who will help lead the Giants (5-4, 2-2) against Sacramento City (2-7, 1-3) in a Valley Conference finale set for 5 p.m. Saturday at the Mineral King Bowl.
Illinois, Hawaii, Purdue, Arizona State, San Diego State and even Louisiana State from the NFL training ground Southeastern Conference have also checked in on Wright, who was the West Yosemite League's Defensive Player of the Year in football, and the state's fourth-place heavyweight in wrestling as a senior at Lemoore High in 2016-2017.
And D'Agostino says more major Division I colleges will enter the picture once fall semester grades are released in late December.
"Whoever ends up with Noah is going to get a steal," D'Agostino said. "As long as he stays healthy and continues his personal development, he has no ceiling. It's amazing how freakishly talented this kid is."
But Wright's promising future appeared in doubt just a year ago, when he spent his days caring for his father, Tana Wright, rather than chasing quarterbacks.
Tana Wright, who was already permanently disabled as the result of a stroke he suffered in 2009, had a heart attack in February 2018 that left him hospitalized for months.
So Wright, and his older brother, Justin, decided to withdraw from COS following their freshman and sophomore seasons, respectively, in order to help their mother, Rhonda, take care of Tana.
"It was hard," Noah said. "I had to give up something I loved doing."
Noah and Justin looked after their dementia-stricken father during the day while Rhonda worked in billing at Hanford's Adventist Hospital to make ends meet for the family, which also includes her younger sons Jaiden, 11, and Nicholas, 8. Tana needs reminders to do things such as eating, using the restroom and taking his medication.
"It was rough seeing him like that," Noah said. "It's been hard to cope with. But we're thankful the Lord gave us another chance to be with our dad. So we cherish every day with him."
Noah and Justin, who had offers to play at four-year universities, also took on night jobs to help with the bills.
"We had to take some stress off our mom and make sure our dad was OK and everything," Justin said. "It was definitely stressful, but at the end of the day, we were so happy to still have our dad. It was a blessing."
Toward the end of 2018, Justin made the decision to forgo his remaining college eligibility and take on a full-time job. By doing so, it allowed Noah to return to COS and resume his education and football career.
"My brother basically sat me down and said only one of us can pursue our dreams because dad is sick," Noah said. "He took the fall for it. He passed the torch on to me and gave me the opportunity to go back to school.
"It means a lot to me. I thought I was done."
Justin, who now works full-time as a custodian for Coalinga State Hospital, said he was just following the code of their Polynesian culture by putting the needs of his family first.
"I'm willing to sacrifice anything for my brothers and my family, even if that means giving up my dreams," Justin said. "I know Noah has what it takes to get to the next level. I want him to continue to work hard and pursue what he's capable of accomplishing."
D'Agostino said Noah Wright could follow in the footsteps of former COS players such as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Steven Nelson, Cleveland Browns corner Robert Jackson and Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and reach the NFL.
"I've been lucky enough to coach some NFL guys," D'Agostino said. "Noah has that kind of potential. He doesn't even know how good he can be yet. He can do things that not a whole lot of human beings his size can."
For example, Wright can do cartwheels.
He can dunk a basketball.
He fields punts like he was a returner rather than a defensive lineman.
He bench presses 400 pounds and squats 600.
"He's got phenomenal upside," D'Agostino said. "He hasn't even scratched the surface."
Wright has been the leader of one of the top defensive lines in California community college football this season with 43 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a team-leading 13 tackles for losses.
He's been a driving force on a COS team that has clinched its first regular season with at least a .500 record since 2013, and can secure its first bowl bid since 2010 with a victory.
"I'm thankful to have the opportunity to play football again," said Wright, who is aiming to become the first member of his family to attend a four-year university. "I want to show I can overcome any challenges thrown at me."
Wright's determination and faith have not been lost on D'Agostino.
"It's impressive to see someone able to fall back on their relationship with the maker and maintain through some adversity," said D'Agostino, who said he considers the Wright's to be part of his family. "I know he's been through some tough days. But you never not see him smiling. He has a great disposition. That's a testament to his faith."
