He Just Became The First Black Person And The Youngest President In NFL History

A historic touchdown for the NFL!

Jason Wright announced on Good Morning America that he’s been chosen as the Washington Football Team president, the first Black person and youngest in the NFL history to lead a team. The 38-year-old played for Northwestern before entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent, he played for seven years before retiring in 2010 to earn his MBA from The University of Chicago.

 Before his appointment, he worked at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting company, where he “focuses on modernizing higher-education institutions, government agencies, and industrial companies through large-scale transformations,” according to the site’s website. He also co-piloted Mckinsey’s anti-racism and inclusion strategy while helping to create the Black Economic Forum.

Wright, replaces Bruce Allen, who was fired in 2019, will be charged with leading Washington’s business division — including operations, finance, sales, and marketing, according to the team’s press release. He will report directly to Dan Snyder, the team owner, and work alongside head coach Ron Rivera, who will lead on-field responsibilities and football decisions.

“If I could custom design a leader for this important time in our history, it would be Jason. His experience as a former player, coupled with his business acumen, gives him a perspective that is unrivaled in the league,” Dan Snyder said in the press release. “We will not rest until we are a championship-caliber team, on and off the field. Jason has a proven track record in helping businesses transform culturally, operationally and financially. He is a proactive and assertive advocate for inclusion of all people and will set new standards for our organization and for the league. There could not be a better duo than Jason Wright and Coach Ron Rivera as we usher in a new era for Washington Football.”

Wright joins the team at a time of great transformation for the franchise, both in name and culture. After deciding to change it’s controversial name and having a sexual harassment scandal involving five former employees, the franchise was looking to create a new culture.

“We had a phrase when we played: ‘You don’t talk about it, you be about it,’ Wright said in his Good Morning America interview. “What I’ve seen from Dan and Tanya Snyder and the hiring of coach Rivera and some of the decisions they’ve made, there are actual shifts in action that suggest it’s a new day. That’s why I’m excited to take this on.”

Cheers to greatness on and off the field! Congratulations Jason!

Photo Credit: Good Morning America