Wright up the middle: Heading north

May 25, 2011

Hey Longhorn fans,

It's great to be back on MB-TF.com!

Let me fill you in on what's been happening in my life since the last time we talked.

I had two seasons with the Dolphins in 2007 and 2008, then went into their '09 camp the last year in my contract. I got released, then I went pretty much all of '09 working out with various teams. I worked out with six different teams, and the last team I worked out with was the Jets. They ended up signing me - not that season - but they signed me in May of 2010 in their offseason. I had a great experience there and met a lot of good guys. I felt like I was part of the crew. I ended up moving up to second-team during camp and just got surprised with a release at the end of training camp. But it was seen on "Hard Knocks", so that was fun.

After I was released from them, I waited around a few weeks like I did in '09. I talked with my agent and my family about what I should do. I faced a crossroads at that point. Should I continue chasing that NFL dream or should I go back to school and go after coaching which is what I want to do when I am done? But then the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL called, and they offered me a chance to play up there. The first week I actually turned them down and then the second week I ended up going with it. I had had a misconception about the game there, but I went there, had a blast for six weeks and that's currently where I am today.

The season there is 18 games, so they start preseason in June. The first actual game is the first weekend in July. So when we finish training camp in the NFL, they are already halfway finished. When I finally got up there, they were already closing their season off. I actually didn't get there until the second to last game of their season. By the last game of the season they had already made the playoffs. I got a chance to start and play that game which was actually a pretty important game because the team we were playing, the Edmonton Eskimos, was a team trying to make it into the playoffs. And if they had beat us, they would have come back to play us again the next week. They were actually on a roll and even though that game really didn't mean anything statistically for us, it was a very intense game. I got a chance to see what "Rider Nation" was all about. The fans are unbelievable.

I played college football at the best place to play in the country - The University of Texas - and we get loud, but those 30,000 fans in Regina, Saskatchewan were insane. And I really got a chance to enjoy that. We beat Edmonton and knocked them out of the playoffs and that kind of started our run. We then played British Columbia and beat them in the first round. Then we played Calgary and beat them in the second round and made it all the way to the Grey Cup, which unfortunately we lost, 21- 18. In the playoffs I was inactive, but I was still there practicing and mingling. Going to the Grey Cup was very special to see because it was like being in a bowl game. You go there for the whole week. They put on a bunch of festivities for you, and that really showed me what the CFL is all about. The fans there are really proud of the CFL. It's first class. They had a players' party. They had the banquets. It's really close to how it was at the National Championship when I went with Texas in 2005. It's not quite on the same scale, but it really made me understand that the CFL is very stable. I learned to love and respect that game up there.

I am going to play for Saskatchewan again this year as I'm currently under contract with them. I report May 30th for rookie camp because I'm still considered a rookie. This will be my first full season so I get a chance to go early. We have a new defensive coordinator, so I get a chance to learn the defense with everyone else. The main thing I had to get used to were the different rules that they have. The defensive line has to line up a yard off of the ball, and there are 12 guys on each side. The field is 65 yards wide and 120 yards long. There are only three downs. The pace of the game is a lot faster. I'm currently 295 pounds. I'm lighter than I've been the last few years. I've been training for more endurance and quicker tempo just to get my wind up and be able to last. The CFL game is more of a finesse game. You aren't going to see a lot of power running. It's a different game, but it is unique.

The thing I really love about it, which I didn't know, was that all levels in Canada play by the same rules - high school, university and the CFL. I thought the CFL had just made different rules to be different from the NFL, but this game has been played like this for a long time. I actually did some research when I was there and found out that my team has been a team for 100 years. When I first got off the plane in the airport there was a sign that said "100 Years of Pride - Roughriders". And I was shocked. When the CFL was started, it was actually a club rugby league, and then it turned into football as we know it. It has a lot of history surrounding it. That's what you have to respect about the CFL. It's not just a league that's copycatting the NFL. They have their own thing going. You have just got to embrace it.

The number one goal in my life in sports was always to play in the NFL. I have blood in the NFL. My uncle, Elmo Wright, played in the league. My cousin, Cedric Woodard, who also played at UT, played in the league. So naturally, that's what my goal has been and that's what I've been trying to do. But right now I'm fully focused on the CFL. That's all I have at this point. I've been released twice in the league. I realize how things can change. I've had my share of shoulder injuries. In all I've had two surgeries, one on the right shoulder and one on the left. The older you get the more unlikely it is for you to play in the NFL, but getting back would be awesome, especially since it makes it easier on my family. Right now I'm fully focused on the CFL and what I have in front of me. This would be the first time I actually will have a full season of football since playing at Texas. The year I actually did play in the NFL for the Dolphins in 2007, I started nine games but I only played 13. Since I've left Texas I haven't played a full season. I'm just looking forward to getting up every day before a game and being used to being back in the mix every Saturday or Sunday, because CFL games vary on what day they play. That's one of my number one goals - to play a full season of football.

I'll check back with you in a couple of weeks after I arrive in Regina for rookie camp to fill you in a little bit more about my state of mind, my health and what I did this spring.

Follow me on Twitter at:@Rodzilla98 and follow the Roughriders at Riderville.com.

Until next time.

Hook 'em,
Rod

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics