St. Thomas gridiron player Myles Wright follows suit of older brother; commits to Florida Institute of Technology
Sitting – L to r: Darnie Wright, Veda Wright, Myles Wright, Dennis Wright; standing: L to r: Reginald Harris, Stevin Scott, Adam Bolanos, Darryl Williams and Ameer Riley
By Charles Moseley
The football coaching staff obviously liked what they saw in last year’s recruit Justin Wright so they decided to give his younger brother Myles an opportunity to show how well they were at judging local football talent. Even to the casual observer their decision was a no brainer. In other words, simply stated, they wanted another one, just like the other one.
When you access the meaning of the word “student athlete” Justin Wright fits all the criteria both on and off the field of play. Not only did he excel during his four year tenure at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, a perennial national football powerhouse, but he distinguished himself in the field of academics as well.
Case in point: Myles graduated with honors in the Class of 2017 with a GPA of 4.7. His list of accomplishments at St. Thomas Aquinas High School also included National Spanish Honor Society, National Honor Society, Varsity Football Letterman 10-12 year, Varsity Track & Field Letterman ninth-10th year, Principal’s Honor Roll ninth-12th year.
In addition his extra-curricular activities include 100 Black Men of Greater Fort Lauderdale Leadership Academy 2005-present, Dr. Reitman Boys & Girls Club Volunteer 9-12th year, City of Fort Lauderdale Relay for Life Volunteer, Broward County Public Defender’s Office Internship (Summer 2015), and Organized case for a mock trial National Urban League Leadership Conference (Summer of 2015.)
Wright interests include sports, composition writing, and creating websites and business cards. He plans to major in Sports Management at FIT and eventually pursue a career in Sports Management as a Sports Agent.
Myles is the son of Dennis and Veda Coleman-Wright and the younger brother of Justin Wright.
Myles recently shared some insight into a number of areas of interest with the Westside Gazette Newspaper.
Westside Gazette- When did you become interested in sports?
Wright-“I first became interested in sports and more specifically football at the age of five when my father signed me up to play flag football at the YMCA, and from that season on I fell in love with the sport.”
WG: How have sports influenced your life?
Wright: “Playing sports has influenced my life by teaching me many life lessons. Football has taught me leadership, discipline, teamwork, and how to compete. Also, running track taught me perseverance and hard work.”
WG: As a student- athlete how important has your academic study helped you to achieve where you are today?
Wright: “My parents made sure that my academic studies came first. They would always tell me that academics will always take me farther in life than my athletics can. My senior year, many of the college coaches that recruited me saw me as an “easy recruit” due to my impeccable grades.”
WG: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
Wright: “My father has been the biggest influence in my life. From watching him, I have learned what it takes to be a successful man and father. He has taught me how to lead, how to take responsibility of your duties as a man, and the importance of taking ad-vantage of every opportunity every day.”
WG: How has been a member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Leadership Academy helped shape the young man you are today?
Wright: “The 100 Black Men of Greater Fort Lauderdale Mentoring Program has taught me all the life skills not learned inside of a classroom. I have gained knowledge of the significance of a higher education and the better opportunities a degree will provide me later on in the business world. Through the mentoring program I have learned the importance of networking and connecting with people, confident public speaking, the ability to market oneself to potential employers, and fiscal responsibility. I have also learned from the mentoring program that in order to instill change in the world, one must lead by example which coincides with our chapter’s motto, “What they see is what they will be.” The program has given me a more innovative outlook on life as far as dreaming big in order to reach success. Without the 100 Black Men mentoring program, I do not believe that I would have put as much effort into planning out my future. I learned it is best to start early and set up goals to achieve along the way.”
WG: What led to your decision to choose FIT as your next level of education?
Wright: “My decision to attend FIT came down to what I felt was the best overall choice for me to be successful both on and off the field. I believe FIT provided me with the best balance of great academics and competitive athletics.”
WG: What advice would you give to student athletes facing the same decision you made to play college football?
Wright: “Advice I would give other student athletes coming close to making this decision is to do what is best for you because at the end of the day this decision will affect the next forty years of your life. It is also important to keep your grades up in order to gain interest from as many schools as possible, and then take the time to understand what each school has to offer academically, athletically, and socially.”
WG: How do you feel about your son taking the next step in life? as a student athlete at the collegiate level?
Mr. & Mrs. Wright: “We are very excited for Myles and his future. Myles has demonstrated the thoughtfulness and maturity in his decision making that has placed him on a path to success. As parents, we could not be more proud of our son. Myles has truly been a blessing from God and We pray that God continues to be the head of his life.”
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