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Letter to the editor

Football still focus for Duke standout

By NANCY MORGAN, Times Sports Correpondent
Published November 18, 2007

Leon Wright (Northeast) started playing youth football with the St. Pete Lil Devils at age 7 and took up track and basketball later, but it was football that was his mainstay.

Football prompted Wright to maintain acceptable grades while the other sports helped keep him in shape for the gridiron.

Last week, the second-year Duke cornerback recovered a Georgia Tech fumble and sprinted 24 yards for a touchdown. Not since 1997 had a similar play been executed by a Duke player. As stellar as the play was, Duke fell 41-24, suffering its ninth loss of the season.

The feat was a highlight for Wright, even with the Blue Devils struggling this season. But Wright's decision to enroll in the Division I school was without strife, he said.

"Everything went right," said Wright, 20. "The coaches were straight with me, and everything just seemed to fit. I really felt like I had a better connection with Duke than any other schools that contacted me."

At Northeast, Wright was listed as the nation's 64th-ranked cornerback based on 1,290 yards rushing, 13 touchdowns, 71 tackles and four interceptions.

"When I came in as a freshman, I expected to be more involved in punt returns for Duke, but I played more defense than I expected," Wright said. "I came in, showed what I could do and they put me in."

Wright played in 11 of 12 games last year and earned a starting role this year. Up to this weekend, Wright has made 59 tackles in 10 games.

Balancing football and academic responsibilities is a challenge for any college athlete, and Wright credits the aid he receives through his advisers for helping reduce the stress of keeping abreast of commitments on and off the field.

"To be a good cornerback, you need to develop great technique, and I work on that constantly," Wright said. "You can't do well without good technique. You've got to read plays, be patient and have good eyes to make the play. Mostly, cornerbacks cover the receivers and rarely blitz."

Although Duke has struggled, Wright firmly believes the team is on the rise and headed toward better results. He plans to play a major part in the team's future.

More football:Jarrod Holt (Clearwater) is a sophomore reserve offensive guard for Duke.

- Northern Michigan redshirt freshman kicker Anthony Leandri (Clearwater Central Catholic) was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference special teams player for the week after a 10-point performance against Michigan Tech. Then, Leandri connected on two field goals and was 4-for-4 on point-after attempts.

- Coast Guard senior punter Jesse Harms (Lakewood/Naval Academy Prep) leads the league with a 39.9 average and was named to the New England Football Club first team for the fourth consecutive season.

Basketball:Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen (Boca Ciega/Columbus State) is playing for the Umea Comets in a Swedish professional league. Signed in late October, the point guard followed up a 21-point effort with 14 more in the 12-team Damligan League.

- Guard Chelsea Patterson (Seminole) led West Florida with 23 points in a 51-45 exhibition loss to South Alabama.

- Former softball player Shauna Hawthorne (Seminole/Fairleigh-Dickinson) began work in August with the NBA as an executive assistant to the senior vice-president of production, working with all facets of the professional basketball media.

News for this column may be faxed to Nancy Morgan at 445-4119, e-mailed to namorgan@tampabay.rr.com or sent to 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756. Please include phone number.

[Last modified November 17, 2007, 22:13:45]