Dae’Quan Wright’s attorney responds to SEC policy banning pro athletes from competing in conference
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Dae’Quan Wright was poised to join LSU after clearing waivers with the Cleveland Browns on Tuesday. At LSU, the tight end would reunite with Lane Kiffin after playing for him at Ole Miss for two seasons.
That could be in jeopardy. Hours after Wright cleared waivers, the SEC announced a new policy prohibiting any player previously signed to an NFL roster — or any professional football league roster — from playing in the conference. That was after the Big Ten released a policy of its own.
Don’t expect this journey to end without a legal fight, however.
Wright, who graduated from high school in 2022, had hoped to receive a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s 5-for-5 rule. While it wouldn’t have applied retroactively, Wright and other players received a temporary restraining order in a Louisiana court that cleared the way for a possible return. They will now seek a possible injunction, with a preliminary hearing set for Monday.
Wright is represented by renowned NIL lawyer Darren Heitner. According to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellinger, Heitner “believes that language in the Louisiana injunction provides a ‘colorable argument’ to cover conference-wide policies as well.” In other words, there’s a chance the injunction could still allow Wright to play.
In other words, this saga appears far from over, at least in Wright’s case.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
