Augusta, Ga. - When Devon Wright-Nelson suited up for the Augusta basketball team, he made an immediate impact. Following his first year with the Jags during the 2011-12 season, Wright-Nelson was named Peach Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.
 
He was a criminal justice major but after finishing pro ball on the international level, Wright Nelson landed an IT job with IBM. His first government job in 2019 found him working in the White House.
 
"I was working as an incident manager and on the help desk as well," said Wright-Nelson.
 
Now, he works for NetSoft as a software support technician and is in the Atlanta area. Every now and then he'll pay a visit to Augusta and visit with coach Dip Metress and the team. He's hasn't forgotten who played a big role in his career.
 
"I remember working hard, and really taking a lot of things that Dip was preaching to us, and I guess you could say it translated into the real world," added Wright-Nelson.
 
His versatility on the court and the way he fit in with the rest of the Jaguars, even during his visit, is what stuck out to coach Dip Metress.
 
"He could always rebound and get to the basket with his left hand and had the ability to score around the basket," said Metress. "The day Devon visited Augusta, we had all good players on the court, and he seamlessly was part of that."
 
Some of those lessons he used while playing professional ball in Italy. He led his team in scoring in the 2016-17 season and enjoyed his time there. He was able to take in the different culture and encourages others to go if ever given the chance.
 
While his playing days are now behind him, the memories of Augusta and his teammates are still there. He has a close relationship with a lot of his teammates including Keshun Sherrill.
 
"I talk with Keshun every day. We were just on the phone and he's over in Turkey now. I communicate with Ryan (Weems) a lot. With Roman (Hill) and D.A. (D'Angelo Boyce) and Devonte (Thomas). Those are the guys I still talk with," said Wright-Nelson.
 
When you are in the moment of playing collegiate sports, you can get lost in the sport itself. But at the end of the day, there are messages and lessons that carry over into a professional career.
 
"Especially with Dip, he was always preached 'next play' and not holding on to what just happened but continue to move forward and still being able to have success," said Wright-Nelson. "Coming into contact with adversity and being able to overcome that adversity and keeping a cool head and not letting it affect me."

Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.AugustaJags.com and receive updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics.