On the Plains with Jeremiah Wright: Driven by Family

Senior Jeremiah Wright is a big family guy. 

The 6-5, 337-pound offensive lineman wanted to go to a place that emphasized the importance of family and that’s what he found when he came to Auburn.

“That family atmosphere when I came to visit,” Wright said on why he chose Auburn. “It just felt like home. All the players are together and do activities together. We’ll chill at each other’s house.”

Family has been a big part of his life growing up in the South and has continued into college and will continue after his time on the Plains comes to an end.

“I love my sisters,” Wright said of sisters Breanna and Sh’naya. “Even when they get on my nerves, they call me every day. And my niece and nephew – Kymore and Kamarrion. My nephew has come with me through many Tiger Walks.” 

To add to all that, Wright will be a father soon as his son is due in July. 

“He’s going to be a junior,” Wright said. “I’m really excited for him to be here soon.”

It’s that focus on family and the future for his son that has Wright dreaming big. 

He graduated in August 2024 with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, combining business, communication and leadership. With this unique combination, Jeremiah aspires to set himself and his family up for success. 

“I obviously want to try for the NFL and also want to start my own family business one day,” Wright said. “Get into clothes and work on my brand or maybe start building something. After the NFL, I have a lot I would like to get back done in my hometown.”

That hometown is Selma, Alabama. A product of Selma High school, Wright has a strong sense of connection to the place where he grew up.

“Just the people there make the town so special,” Wright said. “I didn’t think I would want to be there my whole life, but part of me wants that. They don’t have all the resources other towns have and I want to be able to help Selma get what it needs.”

Not only was it where he grew up, but Selma is where he got his football career started as a sixth grader, which could be considered a late bloomer for kids in Alabama. 

“I played baseball only first,” Wright said. “In sixth grade, my PE coach, Coach Foster, told me to come out for football and just try it out. After that first practice, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I started at tight end and then moved to tackle and have been on the line ever since.” 

But before dreams of playing professionally and then returning to his hometown come to fruition, Wright has one more year of football on the Plains. 

Entering his sixth year with the Tigers, Wright has made multiple transitions in the trenches throughout his time. He came to Auburn as an offensive lineman, moved to defense for a year and will finish his career back on the offense. 

“I played both ways in high school so some of my offers were for both ways, but I was recruited as an offensive lineman here,” Wright said. “Because of some coaching changes and knowing I really wanted to play, I was moved to the D-line. But then I ended up tearing my ACL in the spring of 2021 after winning the starting job. After I got healthy, I moved back to the O-line and stuck it out from there.”

That transition back to the O-line all worked out. Wright earned the starting spot at right guard in every game in 2024 and played in every game in 2023 and 2022. His hard work paid off at the end of last season as he earned the team’s Ken Rice Award for Best Blocking Lineman. 

Through all the adversity and adjustments, he picked up some valuable lessons. 

“A lot of patience,” Wright said. “Even when you know things aren’t going your way, you have to remain humble and keep putting in all the work. Even when you feel like everything is not going your way, you still have to grind, put your head down and be patient.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Wright has one more year to do what he’s been working on since sixth grade with a group of athletes that could arguably have the hardest job on the field. 

“It all starts up front,” Wright said. “You can’t snap the ball without an O-line. The trench is different. Being able to block somebody that is 300+ pounds every play, it’s different. I think people will see a lot of speed on offense and guys being able to fly around and make plays this year. So, we’re going to count on our group to step up and do our jobs as offensive linemen. We all want to run the ball and prove that we can, but we also have playmakers that we can take shots at. We like playing a role in that.”

It's a leadership mentality that will help Wright not only lead his group of linemen, but also the rest of the offense. It’s a role he’s had since he started this game back in Selma and culminated when he was named team captain for Auburn’s game in Tuscaloosa in November. 

“I’ve always been a leader since I first started playing football,” Wright said. “It gets hard and challenging sometimes, but it makes you want those who you’re leading to be better than you.”

With a lot of youth and new faces on the team, Wright has words of wisdom to pass down as a veteran on the team and one who has stuck it out on the Plains the entire time.  

“Be patient with the process,” Wright said. “I chose this place not only for the coaches or the atmosphere, but for the campus, classes and education. I would tell the young guys to be humble, trust the process even when things aren’t going your way and enjoy being at Auburn.”

And there are so many things to enjoy while being at Auburn. But one thing Wright will miss the most is the magic that happens in Jordan-Hare.

“The students and the fans,” Wright said on what makes Jordan-Hare stadium so special. “There is nothing like Auburn’s fanbase. It’s different. They support us no matter how the season is going.”

The consistent support not only from the fans, but from fellow student-athletes has led Wright to show up for his friends outside of football time and time again. 

It’s hard not to miss the big guy at a basketball game or gymnastics meet or volleyball match. 

“We’re all at the same school and love this school,” Wright said. “We get to see each other every day and the support goes a long way. They come to support us on Saturdays and so we go and support them.”

Whether it’s his family in Selma, the one he’s starting this summer or the Auburn family he’s been a part of for six years, those closest to Jeremiah Wright know they can always count on No. 77 to be there for his family.