Bobby and Margaret Wright

If you have ever attended a VCU basketball game, then you know Bobby Wright.  From his iconic black and yellow tall hat waving in the air; to him giving the referee a piece of his mind (in the nicest way, of course); to his wife, Margaret, right by his side.   On bus trips, he is king of the raffle, the master auctioneer.   Before you know it, he is in a bidding war with another passenger for that prized Larry Sanders jersey.   In the summer, you may see the pair volunteering at various golf tournaments or at Ram Athletic Fund Board meetings.   They may not realize it but the Wrights are big part of the VCU Athletics family.  We recently caught up Bobby.  Here’s what he had to say:

1. How did you get involved with VCU?

When I came out of the service, Margaret and I had a baby.  On the GI Bill I went to VCU, but stopped after the first semester so we could make ends meet.   I dropped out of school to go back to work, but kept a beat on VCU.  That’s how we got involved.  We have been fans since RPI and VCU merged and became Division I.

2.Why did you start giving to the Ram Athletic Fund?

The more Margaret and I would come to basketball games, the more interested we would become in getting involved, but we were not exactly sure how to.  It wasn’t until one day, after a basketball game, we found the Rams Club, which was what the Ram Athletic Fund used to be called.   Someone approached us after the game and asked to give $50 to the Rams Club, and well, it just evolved from there.  We are like “friends of VCU” since neither of us are true graduates.

3.What is your favorite VCU Athletics memory?

Well, the obvious choice is VCU v. Duke.  Man, that was a great game!  The list is really too long to name, but the Duke game tops the list.  Another game would have to be from the early years.  Rodney Ashby had the game of his life down in Louisville!  That was one to remember.

4.Who are your favorite VCU Basketball players?

For Margaret, definitely Dominic Jones and Eric Maynor, but that is an easy one.  For myself, I have to agree with Margaret about Dominic [Jones] and Eric [Maynor].  However Michael Doles was always a favorite.   On the current team, it’s Brandon Rozzell.   He is a Highland Springs alum, just like me.

5.  Why should others donate to the Ram Athletic Fund?

VCU has always been good to us.  It is like a family!  People who just come to games and do not get involved are really missing out.  There is truly something missing if you don’t!  The more you go, the more people you meet and the more friends you make. Go on the bus trips, volunteer at golf tournaments!   It gives you such a sense of pride and camaraderie.  I do not think people really understand the value of fundraising.  In order to recruit the best athletes, we have to have the money for scholarships.  Margaret and I have been fans for a long time, and since Norwood [Teague] has been here, the program has only gotten better.