On Jan. 2, varsity football cornerback Ceyair Wright ’21 formally announced his commitment to attend the University of Southern California.
Commenting on his commitment process, Wright said, “I think that for me the hardest part about coming to a decision was realizing that this was one of the most important decisions of my life and that this will put me on track to go certain places. There were a ton of wonderful schools that I had to choose from and making sure that I picked the right one was a nerve-racking process.”
Wright, who narrowed down his options to five Division I programs from the original 39 offers, decided from the following list: Jackson State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and USC. When it came time to announce his commitment on national television, Wright was ready to take the spotlight.
“I think I have always been used to having to speak publicly and be in front of a camera,” Wright said. “I have been preparing for this day for a long time… I do feel that it is the most important decision in my life thus far.”
However, his decision to join the Trojans came long before the official 2021 All-American Declaration Day, saying, “I knew that I would be going to USC a few weeks prior to my commitment and I completely kept it to myself. Eventually, I told my dad and had to tell a couple of other people for the purposes of doing it on TV, but for the most part, nobody knew.”
Growing up in Southern California, he had idolized USC since he was a child, saying, “I always dreamed of being able to attend school and play football there following the footsteps of some of my family members as well as my favorite players. But there were many other factors in my decision including my comfortability with the coaching staff, my ability to come in and make an impact as well as being able to continue acting as much as possible. I feel like USC was the best of all of the worlds that I find myself in which includes football, academics and acting.”
While a threat on the football field, Wright has also made major leaps in the entertainment industry, starring in several commercials, television shows and movies.
Wright, adamant in pursuing his acting career, said, “I had many conversations with the coaches about wanting to continue my acting career while I am in college. They were extremely receptive to what I said and it added to my wanting to go to the school.”
Wright stars alongside basketball star Lebron James in the movie “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” which comes out on July 16. The entire Loyola community is rooting for this Cub’s success at the collegiate level and beyond.
