Winston Wright Jr. was always upbeat.
The first-year transfer student from West Virginia University has high hopes for his first football season at Florida State. He’s widely expected to be the Seminoles’ No. 1 receiver right away.
Those hopes were dashed when Wright was involved in a car accident in March, which left him with a leg injury requiring surgery and out for the season. However, Wright’s spirit never wavered in the constant praise from his coaches and teammates over the next few months.
Wright echoed that claim in his first interview with the media since Thursday’s crash.
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“The last nine months, I feel like it’s been a positive for me and my career,” Wright said. “Just helping me grow as a person, helping me serve the rest of the team in the reception room. Just helping me grow stronger mentally.”
When is Winston Wright Jr. coming back?
For much of the season, it remained a question of when Wright would return to action.
Wright never seemed ready in time for the Seminoles’ opening game against Duquesne on Aug. 27. Then, he was seen walking with a noticeable limp during a game he played in earlier in the season. But as Wright began participating in practice in a limited fashion, more questions about his status arose.
All season, FSU coach Mike Norvell was coy about Wright’s injury timeline. He provided more details on Wright after Thursday’s practice.
“We wanted to make sure that when he got back on that field, he was right,” Norwell said. “He’s playing to the best of his ability in every way. It’s going to be a secondary thought that he has to overcome.
“But he had a really good year. I’m so proud of him. Some of the metrics he was able to hit in that rehab were fantastic. It never got to the point where anybody was ready to say, ‘OK, let’s force this’ to the point where it was not yet the time.
“He’s got the right mentality.”
The Seminoles brought in Wright in the hope that he could revamp their receiving room, which had struggled for two seasons under Norville.
No player on the FSU roster has more than 400 yards in a season. Wright accomplished the feat twice in three seasons with the Mountaineers. Last season, he had a team-high 688 receiving yards and five touchdowns on 63 receptions while earning All-Big 12 second-team honors.
The 5-foot-10, 183-pound quicker is also a dynamic kick-off returner. Last season, he racked up 618 yards and touchdowns on 23 starts, averaging 26.9 yards per return (19th nationally).
“When I got hurt, yeah, I did think I was going to play,” Wright said. “But just talking to the coaching staff, I think it makes more sense to delay and come back (next season) so I can reach my full potential.”
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“We’re just getting started”
Losing Wright leaves the Seminoles without much proven production at receiver.
Three of their other first-year transfers at the position — Johnny Wilson (Arizona), Micah Pittman (Oregon) and Des Spann (Illinois) — never had a college season At least 250 receiving yards.
However, any concerns were quickly dispelled after the FSU’s receiver unit was significantly improved.
Johnny Wilson (35 catches, 695 yards, 5 TDs) and Ontario Wilson (25 catches, 421 yards, 3 TDs) crossed the 400-yard mark before the bowl game. The Seminoles also had a whopping 11 players averaging over 10 yards per catch.
Pro Football Focus has FSU ranked sixth in the country (84.3).
“The whole room is special,” Wright said. “With the pieces we’ve got back, I think we’re going to be more dangerous. We’re going to spend a whole year together and get better all offseason.”
Every receiver on the Seminoles team — save Ontario Wilson, a sixth-year senior — is eligible to return next season.
Johnny Wilson, who may leave early for the NFL draft, will be one of the players to watch in the coming weeks. It is worth mentioning that on November 16, FSU NIL collective Rising Spear announced the signing of Wilson as a brand ambassador.
Wright announced Monday that he wants to return. If Wilson follows suit, the Seminoles should go on to have one of the better receiving groups in the country.
“I feel like we’re just getting started,” Wright said. “I’m excited. Next year, we’re going to have a great team. I’m going to be big just to be a part of this team that we have.
“I’m just happy to be back with myself.”
Contact Carter Karels at ckarels@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @Carter Carriers. You can also follow our coverage on Facebook (NoleSports) and Instagram (tlhnolesports).
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