100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 34 Days – Former No. 34, LB K.J. Wright

Jeff Lebby’s era of Mississippi State football has arrived.

The Bulldogs are on their third coach in as many years as Mike Leach’s tragic passing opened the door for defensive coordinator Zach Arnett’s debut as head coach last year. That experiment failed before the year even ended for State and now it’s Lebby’s turn to take the wheel.

While there is always a risk in hiring first time head coaches, Lebby brings to Starkville an exciting offensive scheme that has been productive everywhere he’s been. The coach has also brought with him some swagger that has the fanbase ready to see what’s next.

Over the course of the next 100 days, we will take a look at Lebby’s roster and even some fun historical rewinds that will bring back memories for Dawg fans of all ages.

Today, we look back at one of the great Bulldog linebackers of the last two decades.

100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 34 Days – Former No. 34, LB K.J. Wright

Before Wright became a star for over a decade on one of the NFL’s best defenses, he was a quiet, but consistent defensive presence for MSU. By his senior season, he was one of the best in the SEC at the linebacker position.

Wright was a solid player in high school at Olive Branch as he was a first-team All-State linebacker that racked up the tackles. 91 of those tackles came his senior season for the Conquistadores and he helped lead his team to a 12-2 record his final season on campus while picking up offers from Ole Miss, MSU, South Carolina, Arkansas and Auburn in the SEC.

While Wright let his recruitment play out past his senior football season, MSU always felt like home to him and he committed to Sylvester Croom a couple of months before signing day.

Wright was still not considered one of the top players in the state his senior year. He came in at 22nd on the list by signing day. He would go on to be one of only two players in the top 40 of the state rankings that would play in the NFL beyond five years in the NFL.

It was known early that Wright was going to be effective. In his freshman season, he was already on the field and no redshirt was needed. MSU burnt that redshirt four games into the season and began to use him sparingly on defense and on several special teams units. He had seven tackles and a fumble recovery in year one, but much bigger things were ahead.

In 2008, Wright was a starter in every game at linebacker and those seven tackles turned into 72 as a sophomore as he became the team’s second-leading stopper. He had a team-high 9.0 tackles for loss as well as 4.0 sacks.

Under a new head coach in 2009, Wright was much of the same for Dan Mullen. He had 82 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. He was one of the best in the conference his senior season with Manny Diaz  in charge of the defense. Alongside defenders like Chris White, Pernell McPhee and Johnthan Banks, Wright stood out with his 98 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, nine pass deflections and fumble recovery.

Wright would go on to be drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL Draft and he put together one of the best careers of a linebacker in franchise history.

Wright played in two Super Bowls with the Seahawks and won one during his consistent 11-year NFL career. He had a career 992 tackles during that time frame with 54 pass deflections, 13.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles, nine fumble recoveries and six interceptions. Wright spent his first 10 years with the Seahawks before being picked up in free agency by the Las Vegas Raiders.

After making 51 tackles in 17 games with the Raiders in 2021, Wright decided to hang up the cleats. The Seahawks would pick up their beloved defender on a one-day contract and he was allowed to retire with the team he spent over a decade with during his career.

Wright spent his last couple of years podcasting but just started a coaching career in the league. This season, he will make his debut with the San Francisco 49ers as a Defensive Quality Control Coach.

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