Zach Wright
Photo by: Brian Morse
Zach Wright Develops Business Acumen In, Out of Classroom
9/16/2016 12:59:00 PM | Football
MSU defensive lineman anchors D-line while developing business project
Montana State's first-year defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak calls Zach Wright a war daddy. His head coach says the sophomore defensive tackle is a walking advertisement for his football program.
So how does Wright spend his time away from football? Pumping iron? Pouring through defensive playbooks? Finding ways to become more determined, nastier on the field, more physical?
"Right now I'm looking to start my own company," the business major says with a smile. "I'm actually working on some stuff right now. I'm hoping to file provisional patent in the next few days (for technology-based equipment) that has applications to law enforcement, fire departments, hopefully special operations, that sort of thing."
The New Braunfels, Texas, product is working with linemate Matt Brownlow on the venture, which came to him almost by accident. "There is a little connection that allowed me a little easier access" to the information both practically and conceptually, he said. "My girlfriend is the daughter of the chief of police in my hometown. I wanted to do this on my own, but being able to get in there and talk to the guys and let the SWAT teams use my equipment and get feedback, it's been exciting."
His business acumen aside, MSU head coach Jeff Choate calls Wright a walking billboard for the virtues he hopes Bobcat football espouses. "He's the poster child for what I want our program to be about. He's a 3.3 student, he keeps his mouth shut, he works hard and fights through problems. There's some grit there."
Wright has enjoyed the move from defensive end to tackle, and the transition to Choate and his staff. "I really enjoy it," he said. "It's nice to be settling into a spot that you can get to know and master."
The challenge to learn that Wright embraces extends beyond the classroom. Spring football for him and his mates in March and April emphasized new techniques and a new attitude. "There was a part that was all new stuff you have to learn, but it was fun because it was a lot that we got to learn, that we got to master and move forward with."
Wright characterizes the technique alterations as subtle but effective. "There's more emphasis on hand placement and hand striking," he said. "As far as maintaining gap mentality there is a lot that is the same, some that's different, but with the new coaches there's a bigger emphasis on hand striking."
Ty Gregorak, the program's first-year defensive coordinator, noticed Wright during the spring. But he fell for him in August. "He had an unbelievable camp," Gregorak said. "I liked what he was doing at the end of spring ball. Man, he is a quiet leader, and to think he is a third-year sophomore. I love the kid. He knows when he messes up and tries to improve the next rep, he tries to refine his craft with each practice."
With the renewed and stark emphasis Choate and his staff placed on physical and mental toughness, it's no accident that one of the players to immediately catch the staff's attention was Wright. "I've noticed ( that concentration on toughness), and I love it. I live by it. That was preached to me in high school by my coaches, the guys who shaped me into the player I am, that's what I lived by. So when these coaches are screaming 'Toughness!', that's all I know. I'll do it for them."
In his third year in the Bobcat program, Wright said the move to Bozeman was easy for him because of a shared passion with his native Texas. "I think it's the football mentality" that made the move easy, he said. "That's something that I may not have been expecting when (MSU) came down to talk to me. When you're in Texas, everyone knows everything about Texas football. It's big there. So I came up here and it's the same environment, nothing changes."
In fact, Wright said that the Treasure State has his homeland topped in one important way. "If anything it's more intense because you have Montana State and Montana here, and that's it. Coming up here, the intensity level really doesn't change. The Big Sky Conference and how competitive that is, there's really no slowing down. It's pedal to the metal."
College rivalries is nothing new for the self-professed "UT guy, I wasn't really an A&M guy," he said of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry. "(A&M) was the other side of the family. Growing up the whole A&M/UT rivalry, I was in the middle of it. That was huge growing up. And then when I get up here and heard about the Griz-Bobcat rivalry, I'll say this – it's more vicious (in Montana). Montanans are vicious when it comes to this rivalry."
Wright has also found a connection with teammates that extend into his vision for business. Along with Brownlow, senior receive Will Krolick – an engineering major – and a friend of Wright's from Texas are jumping into the proposition feet first. Brownlow said his friendship with Wright sparked because "Zach is a guy who is more of an observer, and I really attached to him because he's different but in a good way," Brownlow said. "He approached me one day as we were literally leaving Miller Dining Hall and said he has an opportunity for me, that he's looking for and entrepreneur/PR/I like to talk a lot guy for this project."
Brownlow said the project's partners are on the same page. "It's a four-man team and we get along really well," he said. "We have big goals, big visions down the road, but right now obviously football and school are the most important."
Wright and his partners are proceeding the patent process, and he said the progress has been good. "It's going well. I'm hoping we'll be ready soon."
So how does Wright spend his time away from football? Pumping iron? Pouring through defensive playbooks? Finding ways to become more determined, nastier on the field, more physical?
"Right now I'm looking to start my own company," the business major says with a smile. "I'm actually working on some stuff right now. I'm hoping to file provisional patent in the next few days (for technology-based equipment) that has applications to law enforcement, fire departments, hopefully special operations, that sort of thing."
The New Braunfels, Texas, product is working with linemate Matt Brownlow on the venture, which came to him almost by accident. "There is a little connection that allowed me a little easier access" to the information both practically and conceptually, he said. "My girlfriend is the daughter of the chief of police in my hometown. I wanted to do this on my own, but being able to get in there and talk to the guys and let the SWAT teams use my equipment and get feedback, it's been exciting."
His business acumen aside, MSU head coach Jeff Choate calls Wright a walking billboard for the virtues he hopes Bobcat football espouses. "He's the poster child for what I want our program to be about. He's a 3.3 student, he keeps his mouth shut, he works hard and fights through problems. There's some grit there."
Wright has enjoyed the move from defensive end to tackle, and the transition to Choate and his staff. "I really enjoy it," he said. "It's nice to be settling into a spot that you can get to know and master."
The challenge to learn that Wright embraces extends beyond the classroom. Spring football for him and his mates in March and April emphasized new techniques and a new attitude. "There was a part that was all new stuff you have to learn, but it was fun because it was a lot that we got to learn, that we got to master and move forward with."
Wright characterizes the technique alterations as subtle but effective. "There's more emphasis on hand placement and hand striking," he said. "As far as maintaining gap mentality there is a lot that is the same, some that's different, but with the new coaches there's a bigger emphasis on hand striking."
Ty Gregorak, the program's first-year defensive coordinator, noticed Wright during the spring. But he fell for him in August. "He had an unbelievable camp," Gregorak said. "I liked what he was doing at the end of spring ball. Man, he is a quiet leader, and to think he is a third-year sophomore. I love the kid. He knows when he messes up and tries to improve the next rep, he tries to refine his craft with each practice."
With the renewed and stark emphasis Choate and his staff placed on physical and mental toughness, it's no accident that one of the players to immediately catch the staff's attention was Wright. "I've noticed ( that concentration on toughness), and I love it. I live by it. That was preached to me in high school by my coaches, the guys who shaped me into the player I am, that's what I lived by. So when these coaches are screaming 'Toughness!', that's all I know. I'll do it for them."
In his third year in the Bobcat program, Wright said the move to Bozeman was easy for him because of a shared passion with his native Texas. "I think it's the football mentality" that made the move easy, he said. "That's something that I may not have been expecting when (MSU) came down to talk to me. When you're in Texas, everyone knows everything about Texas football. It's big there. So I came up here and it's the same environment, nothing changes."
In fact, Wright said that the Treasure State has his homeland topped in one important way. "If anything it's more intense because you have Montana State and Montana here, and that's it. Coming up here, the intensity level really doesn't change. The Big Sky Conference and how competitive that is, there's really no slowing down. It's pedal to the metal."
College rivalries is nothing new for the self-professed "UT guy, I wasn't really an A&M guy," he said of the Texas-Texas A&M rivalry. "(A&M) was the other side of the family. Growing up the whole A&M/UT rivalry, I was in the middle of it. That was huge growing up. And then when I get up here and heard about the Griz-Bobcat rivalry, I'll say this – it's more vicious (in Montana). Montanans are vicious when it comes to this rivalry."
Wright has also found a connection with teammates that extend into his vision for business. Along with Brownlow, senior receive Will Krolick – an engineering major – and a friend of Wright's from Texas are jumping into the proposition feet first. Brownlow said his friendship with Wright sparked because "Zach is a guy who is more of an observer, and I really attached to him because he's different but in a good way," Brownlow said. "He approached me one day as we were literally leaving Miller Dining Hall and said he has an opportunity for me, that he's looking for and entrepreneur/PR/I like to talk a lot guy for this project."
Brownlow said the project's partners are on the same page. "It's a four-man team and we get along really well," he said. "We have big goals, big visions down the road, but right now obviously football and school are the most important."
Wright and his partners are proceeding the patent process, and he said the progress has been good. "It's going well. I'm hoping we'll be ready soon."
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