Introduction
Timothy Wright (born April 7, 1990) is a former American football tight end. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Rutgers, where he subsequently opened a barbershop in 2016.
Early life
Wright grew up in Neptune, New Jersey and attended Green Grove Elementary School. As a teen, he played high school football at Wall High School.
College career
Wright played wide receiver at Rutgers under head coach Greg Schiano for his first couple of years. Schiano was also his head coach in the NFL for his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 219 lb (99 kg) | 4.65 s | 1.63 s | 2.74 s | 4.47 s | 7.27 s | 36 in (0.91 m) | 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m) | 19 reps | |||
| All values from Rutgers Pro Day | ||||||||||||
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (first stint)
On April 29, 2013, Wright was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On June 12, 2013, Wright was moved from wide receiver to tight end. Wright played all 16 games for the Buccaneers, starting 8. He finished the season with 54 catches for 571 yards and 5 touchdowns, the yards and touchdowns tied for the most by an undrafted rookie tight end in NFL history. Wright was the only rookie tight end in 2013 to have more than 500 receiving yards.
New England Patriots
On August 26, 2014, Wright was traded by the Buccaneers to the New England Patriots along with a 2015 4th round draft pick for guard Logan Mankins. Wright played in 11 games for the Patriots, catching 26 passes for 259 yards, with a career-high 6 touchdowns. Wright played in the Patriots Super Bowl XLIX victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but did not record any catches. He was released on June 11, 2015.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second stint)
On June 12, 2015, the Buccaneers claimed Wright off waivers.
Detroit Lions
On August 31, 2015, the Buccaneers traded Wright to the Detroit Lions in exchange for placekicker Kyle Brindza. During the 2015 season, Wright appeared in nine games for the Lions, where he finished with nine receptions for 77 yards and two touchdowns. On March 16, 2016, the Lions re-signed Wright to a one-year contract. On May 31, 2016, he was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a torn ACL.
On August 9, 2017, Wright re-signed with the Lions. He was released on August 28, 2017.
Kansas City Chiefs
On April 9, 2018, Wright was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs. He was released on September 1, 2018.
NFL statistics
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDs | AVG | LNG | TDs | FDs | Fum | FumL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | TB | 16 | 54 | 571 | 10.6 | 36 | 5 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | NE | 11 | 26 | 259 | 9.9 | 30 | 6 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | DET | 9 | 9 | 77 | 8.6 | 26 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 41 | 89 | 907 | 10.2 | 36 | 13 | 54 | 0 | 0 | |