| Previous College Sports Played: | Football |
One of only two Pirate players to ever earn consecutive All-American honors in football, Wardell Wright was a dominant figure for ICC during a two-year stretch that included the team’s first-ever trip to a bowl game.
As a freshman, Wright had a team-high 1,229 yards rushing and tallied 14 touchdowns. He became the first junior college back in the nation to reach the 1,000-yard plateau before suffering a leg injury late in the season. The Pirates finished 6-5 in 1976 as Wright was named Honorable Mention All-American. One year later, Wright once again played a key role in the Pirates’ season as he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season. He was one of four Independence players to receive All-American honors that season as ICC finished 8-3 after participating in the Wool Bowl.
After a two-year stint in Independence, Wright went on to play at Drake University. In 1978, he rushed for 407 yards on 104 carries with six touchdowns while playing 10 games. One year later, he more than doubled that output with 873 yards on the ground by way of 177 attempts with 14 touchdowns. He finished the season first in the Missouri Valley Conference in touchdowns, points scored and yards rushing.