Wolverines are all Wright for Salem's big-time kicker

Bryan Wright made the second-longest field goal in Ohio history this season.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
SALEM -- Just before Thanksgiving, Salem senior kicker Bryan Wright got a call from the University of Michigan. The coaches wanted to know if he'd accept a scholarship.
Wright, who grew up an Ohio State fan in a rabid Ohio State town, did what anyone in his position would have done.
He said yes. Very quickly.
"Obviously, Ohio State is the team that most kids in Ohio want to play for," Wright said. "But Michigan's not a bad second."
Especially when you're a kicker. While teams can carry three or four players at other positions, there's usually only room for one kicker on scholarship at each school. Some schools (Ohio State included) often want kickers to walk on and earn a scholarship.
"With kickers, it's all about opportunity," Wright, a two-time first team All-Ohioan, said.
"Teams can carry four quarterbacks, but they're usually only recruiting a kicker once every four years."
Supply and demand
Added his coach, Doug Phillips, "The one thing I tried to get across is, this is almost a business. It's sad to say but it is. Where you may want to go, they may not need a kicker."
Wright was one of the lucky ones. He had offers from Bowling Green, Akron, Cincinnati (where his father played as a lineman) and West Virginia.
So why did he pick Michigan? Simple.
"It's the biggest school that offered me," said Wright, who plans to major in business. "It's a great program with great academics."
Wright, who made the second-longest field goal in Ohio history this season, is one of three area players expected to sign with a Big Ten school on Wednesday's national signing day, joining Liberty linebacker John Humphrey (Purdue) and Howland running back Lance Smith (Wisconsin).
Wright played soccer all the way up through eighth grade and played football in seventh and eighth grade. By the time he was a freshman, he had a decision to make.
"I knew I wasn't going to do anything as a wide receiver," he said. "Kicking seemed like it could be my way out."
Kicking ability emerges
Early on, it was clear he had a special leg. ("He was making 40-yard field goals as a sophomore," Phillips said.
"How many JV kickers can do that?") But what separated Wright was his work ethic. He hit the weight room. He worked on his technique. He sent out tapes. And he went to camps. Lots and lots of camps.
"The thing I respect Bryan most is that he works at it," Phillips said. "He did everything the other players did. He made the decision to be a kicker and he and his family made sure he developed that skill."
By the time he was a senior, he had emerged as arguably the best in the state. Wright (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) made 7-for-11 field goals in 2005. His 57-yard connection against Poland tied him with Waynesville's Tim Williams for second-longest in Ohio history. B.J. Sander of Cincinnati Roger Bacon holds the record with a 60-yard thump in 1998.
Impressive numbers
For his career, Wright has made 13 of 18 field goals, 67 of 73 PATs and had touchbacks on 80 percent of his kickoffs.
"He's obviously got a strong leg; the ball comes off like a shotgun," Phillips said. "But the one thing you can say about him is, he makes field goals. Anything inside 45 yards, he makes it 90 percent of the time."
Of course, making field goals in Ann Arbor is a little more stressful than making field goals in Salem. But Wright isn't one to shy from a challenge.
"For the past four years, he's dreamed about being the best kicker in the state," said Phillips said. "And he fulfilled those dreams."
scalzo@vindy.com