After many years of contention, the NFL team in Washington, DC has finally relented and removed the name “Redskins” as the team’s nickname.
While they search for a new team name, the Washington football team must also work on the team itself – both on the field and in the front office.
One of those changes is the hiring of a new team president. With the hiring of former professional football player Jason Wright; not only is Wright the youngest person to hold the position at the age of 38, Washington becomes the first team in the NFL to hire a person of colour as their president.
Wright spoke on his hiring saying, “the pivot in history, given the history of the franchise, is great. I think that it also just shows a way of evaluating talent where the most qualified professional happened to also be Black. And that that didn’t prevent them from getting the role is a good signal to just all of us who may not be from the majority population in corporate America or in the global corporate ecosystem.”
Wright will handle the business side of football; while head coach Ron Rivera will take care of business on the field.
Washington owner Dan Snyder spoke on his new hire saying, “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.”
Prior to the hiring of Wright, Minnesota Vikings chief operating officer Kevin Warren was the highest ranking non-white executive in any NFL team. Warren left the Vikings in 2019 to become the Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.
During his career with the NFL Wright was a running back with the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, and the Arizona Cardinals. While at Arizona he was a team captain and the NFL Players Association representative.