isaiah wright-last chance u

Last Chance U protagonist Isaiah Wright is facing criminal charges that appear far more serious than the show’s typical fare.

Wright, a former East Mississippi Community College running back who was featured in both seasons of the acclaimed Netflix documentary series, has been arrested and charged with criminal homicide in connection with a fatal stabbing in Tennessee, along with his brother Camion Patrick and two other men, according to the Indianapolis Star. Wright and Patrick (who is currently on scholarship at Indiana) were reportedly arrested Wednesday, eight weeks after 18-year-old Caleb Radford was stabbed to death on a street in Louisville, Tennessee.

To the extent that Season 2 of Last Chance U had a player protagonist, Wright was it. The running back was freakishly athletic, charming on camera and quick with a smile. The show spent more time on his backstory than on any other player’s, explaining how he had spent much of his childhood in foster care, alongside Patrick and other siblings, as their father went to prison and their mother abandoned them. Last Chance U also introduced the audience to Wright’s fiance and spent significant time detailing her miscarriage.

Later in the season, Wright’s story took a darker turn, as frustrating injuries led to repeated clashes with his coaches, which led to scholarship offers drying up. Wright wound up at Division II West Georgia, but left the school before the 2017 season began.

Last Chance U director Greg Whiteley told Awful Announcing in July that Wright was one of his favorite players to be around in two seasons of filming the show.

Arrests are not new for Last Chance U, whose name alludes to EMCC’s willingness to take in troubled players. But though featured characters on the show have faced criminal charges for drug crimes, assault and armed robbery, Wright’s homicide charge certainly appears to be the most serious.

Camion Patrick caught six passes for 154 yards for Indiana last season before suffering a shoulder injury that ended his Hoosiers career. He remains on scholarship at Indiana but has reportedly suspended by the school.

[ESPN]

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.