There’s a line in the Kansas University football team’s media guide that has linebacker Arist Wright’s teammates torn.
“Claims to be a handy man,” the line reads. Hmmm.
“I don’t think he can fix anything,” sophomore linebacker Dakota Lewis said.
“Who, Arist?” asked sophomore Justin Springer. “Nah, man. He’s just a regular dude.”
Regular, maybe. But he’s quietly becoming one of the most important players on the KU defense.
Wright laughed when told his teammates didn’t believe in his Mr. Fix It abilities, but Wright said the handyman line is legit. His favorite project is his car, a shiny Impala, which he recently put new rims on and added a stereo system that bumps his favorite beats.
“That’s off the field,” he said. “I like to fix stuff. I’d help with anything. I’m a handyman around the house, helping my mama back home with stuff.”
A fellow linebacker, senior Joe Mortensen, said Wright also plays the role of handyman on the field, and said his importance to the team extended beyond his handyman status.
“You could put Arist anywhere on the field,” Mortensen said. “You could rush him off the edge or play him at linebacker. And if he wants to play at the next level, I think you could put him at strong safety. He’s fast, he’s athletic, and he’s known as a hitter. And I definitely think he’s one of those players you could put anywhere.”
After praising his teammate’s play, Mortensen said Wright usually was the first person he called upon when he needed help with a fixer-upper.
“I call Arist when I have electronic problems,” Mortensen said. “Yeah, he’s an electrician. He hooked up my subs (speakers) in my car, and he’s hooked up a lot of stuff, like my computer and stuff. He’s pretty smart.”
After making his first career starts against Sam Houston State and Iowa State earlier this season, the Houston native racked up a career-high in tackles (eight) in a victory against Colorado.
In the team’s last three games, Wright has been credited with 17 tackles, compared with just seven in the first four games of the season.
Wright points to personal maturity for the increase in production.
“Mostly, it’s focus,” he said. “Last year I didn’t play a lot, and I had a little chip on my shoulder because of the reasons. But now I’m getting older, I’m a junior, and it’s time to start stepping up and filling in the spots.”
Wright’s main focus is at outside linebacker, where he has filled in for senior Mike Rivera from time to time. Rather than seeing it as a chance at taking Rivera’s spot, Wright chooses to look at it as an opportunity to showcase what he has learned from the upperclassmen, a group for which he has great deal of respect and admiration.
“They bring a lot of experience to the linebacking corps, and I try to follow in their footsteps,” Wright said. “I ask a lot of questions, and we’re a group, we’re together, and I’m trying learn a lot so I can help bring along the next corps of linebackers.”
While he preps for his time in the leadership spotlight – something he hopes will come naturally in 2009 – Wright does everything he can to bring energy to the 2008 team every time he’s on the field.
“I like to bring the hypeness to the field,” he said. “I like to tell everybody, ‘I’m in here, so it’s time to start playing hard.’ We’re trying to be the Big 12 North champions, so every game is important. Kansas has to make a statement. Not wants to, has to.”
