FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Mike Wright just needed to settle down.
Through his first three and a half years in the league, the New England Patriots' defensive lineman was accustomed to having great practices during the week, but he was having a tough time putting it all together during game days. Wright had flashes of success — a start here, a sack there, a six-tackle game somewhere else — but he couldn’t always stay consistent.
Finally, midway through the 2008 season, Wright concluded he had to stop putting so much pressure on himself. He built up his anticipation for the games to the point where he couldn’t control his individual responsibilities. Eventually, Wright forced himself to take a breath and put things in perspective.
“I think I always hyped up the games a little too much,” Wright said. “I always got myself a little more worked up than I should have. I just try to keep myself relaxed now and focus on what I can do and let everything else fall into place.
“Last year, as the year went on, I built more confidence the more I was out there. I just tried to do my same routine during a game day as I would for practice. I was always playing better in practice than games. I was just trying to make it the same as a practice to me.”
It was almost as if Wright was trying too hard to prove himself on Sundays, and it’s tough to blame him. After a solid career at Purcell Marian High School in Cincinnati, Wright didn’t get an iota of interest from any Division I colleges. He played at D-II Ashland University in 2000 before transferring to Cincinnati, where he had to earn a job as a walk-on.
Even after working his way up, Wright went undrafted in 2005, but he was signed by the Patriots and became the only undrafted free agent to make the team’s roster that season. Basically, he’s been an underdog every year for the last decade.
Through hard work, strong practices and an ability to perform on special teams, Wright has maintained his standing in New England, and his improvements over the last year have given him more chances on the defensive line. While earlier in Wright’s career, head coach Bill Belichick only used him in specific defensive packages, Wright’s consistency has allowed him to remain on the field during all down-and-distance situations.
“The biggest thing for me is just the experience,” Wright said. “Over the years, I’ve been able to back up all three positions at the 3-4 and all positions at the 4-3. Last year, getting in there a little bit more in the pass rush gave me even more experience. Experience is the biggest thing as far as any player is concerned for development.”
As a result, Wright has become one of the Patriots’ most effective pass rushers this season, and it’s been a welcome sight for the Patriots after they traded away defensive end Richard Seymour. Wright has a team-high three sacks in 2009, and in his last 15 games, he has registered 5.5 sacks.
“I’m just glad I’m doing it on the field now instead of practice,” said Wright, who also has a team-best five quarterback hits this season. “That’s the biggest thing is taking what you do in practice and doing it on the field. That’s one of the hardest things to do for me.
“It’s great to be out there and be a constant guy out there, which I’ve always wanted to do here, and hopefully I can keep doing it for the team.”
