NU standout speaks about his faith to sold-out crowd

Daily Herald | March 07, 2004 | Eileen O. Daday

[Thebaddog]

Northwestern University tailback Jason Wright closed out his college career as the school's fourth-leading rusher, and was a two-time first team Academic All-American.

On Saturday, however, he recorded a first: he gave his first formal speech, as the keynote speaker at the Rolling Meadows Community Prayer Breakfast.

"I'm just glad for the opportunity," Wright said afterward. "This is the only group I've ever spoken to, besides my (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) group."

It won't be his last. He already is booked to speak to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes coaches meeting on March 13 at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire.

Wright, a senior at Northwestern, received a standing ovation on Saturday from the 160 audience members at the Community Church of Rolling Meadows.

[Thebaddog]

His talk described how prayer and his involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes had helped him to rededicate himself to football, and overcome the shock of teammate Rashidi Wheeler's death, who died of an asthma attack during conditioning training in August 2002.

"He was my hometown mentor," said Wright, originally of Diamond Bar, Calif. "I was completely and utterly broken."

Now this is what I want my kids to grow up to be like. This young man is quite a fellow.