scooby wright talks about his future, love for birmingham

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JUNE 2, 2024 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

By Steve Irvine

Scooby Wright’s next professional step is yet to be determined.

His professional football career is not officially over. If health permits, perhaps he could return to the Birmingham Stallions next season. He could begin a career as a firefighter. Perhaps he will seek a career in television.

“I have got a couple different routes, I just got to pick one,” Wright said at halftime of the Birmingham Stallions 20-19 win over the Michigan Panthers on Saturday at Protective Stadium.

The 29-year-old Wright began his professional football in 2016. During that time he’s been with three NFL franchises, played with the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football and has been one of the faces of the Birmingham Stallions since the USFL returned in 2022.  As a college player at the University of Arizona, he was the first sophomore to win Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after totaling 163 tackles, 14 sacks and 29 tackles for loss.

His final snap as a football player might have come on April 20 in the first half of a 20-18 win over the DC Defenders at Protective Stadium. Wright said the neck injury he suffered in that game was a combination of a hit he took during the game and the accumulation of hits he’s taken while playing his linebacker position.

“A little bit of both,” Wright said. “It really happened in the Defenders game, that was kind of the last straw. I lost feeling in my hands for a little bit, that was scary. I still have a little bit of tingling in my fingers. I’m going to see a specialist here in a couple of weeks. They’re still trying to figure it out.”

Wright watched the second half of that game from the coaches booth in the press box. The next week, he posted a picture on social media of his cleats hanging over the goalpost at the Stallions’ practice site in Arlington, Texas. Speculation was that picture signified his retirement from football, which Wright said is not accurate.

“I was kind of upset in the moment,”  Wright said. “That’s when I found out I was going to be going home (for the season). It really wasn’t much to it. It was kind of a ‘Peace out guys. I’ll see you when I see you.’”

Wright has spent most of his time at his home in California. It hasn’t been easy being away from football and being away from his teammates.

“It’s probably one of the toughest things as an athlete that you have to deal with,” Wright said. “It’s like that mental game of wanting to stay involved with the team. That’s the hardest thing when you’re hurt. You don’t want to be around anybody, just go to rehab. You got to fight the discipline and make sure you show up. If you come back and you’re healthy, you’re going to be prepared to play. That was always in the back of my head, kept me moving forward every day.”

Obviously, Wright’s biggest concern now is getting healthy. Even if he does return next season, his journey as a football player is winding down.

Wright said he earned Firefighter 1 and 2 certifications in California in 2021. He’s eligible to pursue a job in that field in his home state. He also worked as a football sideline announcer in Arizona and “got comfortable doing that.”  

But playing football is still his passion.

“I’ve played professional football since I was 21 years old, I’m 29 now,” Wright said. “I’ve been playing it for a while. I don’t know, you just look back and you have so many (memories). It’s kind of like you almost have your black belt in football. You have that red stripe on your belt. I do martial arts, too, and that’s how I kind of look at it. I’ve got to kind of find a way to stay involved in football because I have too much experience not to.”

No matter what happens, Wright, a Stallions’ fan favorite, leaves no doubt that Birmingham will forever hold a special place his heart.

“I honestly loved it,” Wright said of his two years living in Birmingham. “I always loved being around the (Birmingham) community, being involved. I truly believe that’s when people care, when (players) are out in the community. It was interesting. Hopefully, they can get back here to Birmingham the next couple of years or next year. That would be really cool.”