Last Sunday’s newsletter was about Nebraska’s sixth-year quarterback Jalyn Gramstad, known to teammates and coaches as “Grandad,” the “old man.” This week’s is another, but first . . .
Return to 2019. Among the popular movies were “Knives Out” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” and the top songs in Billboard’s year-end Hot 100, were “Old Town Road” by Lil Naz X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus and “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee. Popular television series included “NCIS,” “Blue Bloods” and “This Is Us.”
Scott Frost was Nebraska’s second-year head football coach, his defensive coordinator Erik Chinander, the defensive backs coach Travis Fisher. Javin Wright, the subject of this newsletter, was a 19-year-old freshman, among 21 scholarship recruits. He was listed as a cornerback.
Ty Robinson, Rahmir Johnson and Bryce Benhart were also in the recruiting class.
Adrian Martinez directed the offense on the 5-7 team, completing 149-of-251 passes for 1,956 yards and 10 touchdowns, with nine interceptions, and rushing for 626 yards and seven touchdowns on a team-high 149 carries. Dedrick Milles carried 143 times for 745 yards and 10 touchdowns. Linebackers Mohamed Berry and Will Honas were the leading tacklers, with 89 and 72, respectively.
Wright got in one game as a redshirt, on special teams against Illinois.
Wright is a seventh-year senior linebacker now. He missed the 2020 Covid season because of injury and played in two games in 2021. He played in 10 games, with one start, in 2022, 12 games with one start, in 2023 and nine games, with one start, last season.
Purdue was his first game last season, after recovering from a blood-clot issue. Wright was Nebraska’s leading tackler in the Pinstripe-Bowl victory, with eight.
“I approach practice a lot differently now,” Wright said during Tuesday’s media availability. “Last year made me appreciate practice more. Now I treat it like an art, like a perspective change. You know how people do Taekwondo and Taijutsu? I think of football as an art form or lifestyle.
“You kind of immerse yourself into football.”
Given his age—he celebrated his 25th birthday recently—Wright’s teammates call him “Unc,” for uncle, and “old man,” like Gramstad. “Just being, like, the older guy and going through all those generations, I get a lot of wisdom to share with the younger guys,” said Wright.
“It’s actually great. I like being the older guy.”
He had no doubts about returning for a seventh season if the NCAA approved it, which he believed it would. After the bowl game, Matt Rhule talked with him about returning.
The decision wasn’t “really any hassle for me,” Wright said.
He’s not aware of the disparity in age during practice, “in the moment,” he said. “It’s just another person there I’ve got to win against or I’ve got to compete with. Everyone’s part of the team. Everyone is just trying to get better. But I guess when I am in the weight room or how I am in the film room” it does occur to him. “But then, that just kind of verifies my journey that I’ve walked.
“The path that I’ve walked is kind of unique.”
Wright, whose father Toby earned letters at Nebraska in 1992 and 1993, has seen dramatic changes, with revenue sharing, NIL and the transfer portal. “It’s a whole different ball game now,” he said.
“I do actually remember saving my money, riding my scooter, not trying to spend money on fast food, trying to go to the training table because I was hungry. And then I remember times like now. We’re all blessed now, so it’s a lot easier than it was before.”
He remembers when defensive back DeShon Singleton, second on the team in tackles last season, arrived in 2022, after a season at Hutchinson Community College. “Me and him go way back,” said Wright whose locker is next to Singleton’s. “We just talk about how things used to be, things are now and how fun football is. We’re both trying to achieve the same goal, so having someone like that by your side, someone like that on the defense, is definitely very helpful.”
Even though Singleton is three years younger than “Unc.”
