A former Georgia football standout took an unexpected path from Princeton to NASCAR

For Samuel Wright, the road to NASCAR didn't begin on a racetrack. It started on the football field.

The Gwinnett County native and former Archer High School standout is now a jackman for RFK Racing's No. 60 team, driven by Ryan Preece, after an unlikely journey that included Princeton University, professional football tryouts and a career as an architect.

Wright said he was preparing for another football opportunity while working as an architect in Atlanta when he received an email from NASCAR recruiters.

"Through trying football, I ended up staying with a couple professional teams for a little bit and then was working as an architect in Atlanta getting ready for another football tryout," Wright said. "I got an email from NASCAR and they said, 'Hey, we saw your film, we saw your tape.'"

As a jackman, Wright is responsible for lifting the race car during pit stops. He said many of the skills he developed as a defensive lineman have translated to pit road.

"It's D-line. It's all about bending the edge to get to a quarterback," Wright said. "So when I'm running around the car from one side to the other, it's the same thing. How can I stay low and keep moving fast and get to the other side? It's not contact, but jacking up a 3,000-pound car and doing it quickly, nine seconds or less."

Returning to EchoPark Speedway for NASCAR's Atlanta race weekend carries special meaning for Wright. He said it was the first track he visited before becoming a jackman, and it also gives him the chance to see family and friends.

"When I first got into the sport, this was the first track that I came to visit before I became a jackman," Wright said. "My mom, my dad will be here today, a couple of friends. So it's always good when I get to see them and come back home."

Wright's mother said she never imagined her son would build a career in sports.

"We never promoted sports in our home," she said. "If they wanted to do something, we always recommended that they read a book."

Now established in NASCAR, Wright hopes his unconventional path encourages others to pursue their goals.

"They'll ask me how I got into it," Wright said. "My advice will be dream big, always. Dream big and surrender your steps to God because He will take you further than you could go on your own."