Horned Frogs First Person: Dylan Wright
10/9/2023 1:45:00 PM | Football
TCU wide receiver credits his mom for teaching him how to play
(as told to Lily Margaret Greenway)
My mom was the first person to put a football in my hands. She and my dad played flag football in the community we grew up in – she would be on one team, and he would be on the other. One day, she brought me out on the field and said, "let me show you how to play." I learned how to catch the ball out there with her. I went to my parents' games every weekend after that. My mom has always had a strong impact on my life. She watched me fall in love with the game and witnessed every trial I've overcome to play football at the collegiate level. I know how happy she is that I am here, and that makes me happy, because I've always been a Mama's boy!
When I arrived at TCU, my first thought was… finally! It is a breath of fresh air to be somewhere where I can be myself and play football at this high level. Most of all, it gives me the opportunity to carry out the legacy my cousin, Aaron Lowe, and I started together. He went to school in Utah, but he passed away two years ago as a result of gun violence. We always wanted to play together in college, so it's my responsibility to keep working and live out our dream for the both of us. He is the reason I wake up in the morning and commit to going so hard every day. I wear 16 on my jersey now because I wore it during that hardest year of my life. I want to finish what we started with that same number.
All of the things I've been through make me feel like nothing can stop me. I know what my past reality looked like back home. Losing people, living in poverty, having to stand on my own and going through a lot of hard times instilled in me a strong work ethic and a tough mindset. Discipline, hard work and consistency are my greatest values, and I see the effect that practicing them has on both my performance in football and in my daily life. Additionally, I've undergone a lot of mental growth since I first came to TCU, especially since meeting Coach (Malcolm) Kelly. He reminds me of an older version of me who has been through the hard bumps and can show me the correct way, like how to think through every action and reaction in order to make the wisest choice.
Everything I do affects how I perform on the field, so I'm a hardworking guy who's always about business. Sometimes, that serious athlete is all people see when they look at me. They don't yet know who I really am. I have an intense focus when I'm on the field, but at my core, I'm a people person. I may not talk a lot, but when I do, I have something meaningful to say. And deep down, I'm just a genuine and good-hearted guy who loves his family and the game of football.
My mom was the first person to put a football in my hands. She and my dad played flag football in the community we grew up in – she would be on one team, and he would be on the other. One day, she brought me out on the field and said, "let me show you how to play." I learned how to catch the ball out there with her. I went to my parents' games every weekend after that. My mom has always had a strong impact on my life. She watched me fall in love with the game and witnessed every trial I've overcome to play football at the collegiate level. I know how happy she is that I am here, and that makes me happy, because I've always been a Mama's boy!
When I arrived at TCU, my first thought was… finally! It is a breath of fresh air to be somewhere where I can be myself and play football at this high level. Most of all, it gives me the opportunity to carry out the legacy my cousin, Aaron Lowe, and I started together. He went to school in Utah, but he passed away two years ago as a result of gun violence. We always wanted to play together in college, so it's my responsibility to keep working and live out our dream for the both of us. He is the reason I wake up in the morning and commit to going so hard every day. I wear 16 on my jersey now because I wore it during that hardest year of my life. I want to finish what we started with that same number.
All of the things I've been through make me feel like nothing can stop me. I know what my past reality looked like back home. Losing people, living in poverty, having to stand on my own and going through a lot of hard times instilled in me a strong work ethic and a tough mindset. Discipline, hard work and consistency are my greatest values, and I see the effect that practicing them has on both my performance in football and in my daily life. Additionally, I've undergone a lot of mental growth since I first came to TCU, especially since meeting Coach (Malcolm) Kelly. He reminds me of an older version of me who has been through the hard bumps and can show me the correct way, like how to think through every action and reaction in order to make the wisest choice.
Everything I do affects how I perform on the field, so I'm a hardworking guy who's always about business. Sometimes, that serious athlete is all people see when they look at me. They don't yet know who I really am. I have an intense focus when I'm on the field, but at my core, I'm a people person. I may not talk a lot, but when I do, I have something meaningful to say. And deep down, I'm just a genuine and good-hearted guy who loves his family and the game of football.
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