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Meet the NFL rookie who left training camp to chase acting dreams
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- Meet the NFL rookie who left training camp to chase acting dreams
Meet the NFL rookie who left training camp to chase acting dreams originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
There are only so many roster spots in the NFL. Every August, plenty of former college stars can't find a home among the 32 teams, eventually turning their lives to somewhere other than the field.
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One cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals this summer, however, has one of the more unique reasons to leave his NFL dreams behind: an acting career.
Ceyair Wright — who first took on a significant role in a famous sports movie when he apeared in the "Space Jam" remake — is reportedly focusing on acting after the Bengals officially announced he has left the team during the preseason.
Here's what to know about Wright, his role in "Space Jam: A New Legacy" and more.
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Who is Ceyair Wright?
Wright is a 23-year-old cornerback who played at USC from 2021-23 and Nebraska from 2024-25. The 6-foot, 185-pound defender, who is from Los Angeles, signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in May.
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Wright has a few relatives in the football world — his uncle, Mazio Royster, is a former USC running back, one of his cousins, Darick Holmes, played running back at Portland State and in the NFL, and another cousin, Darnay Holmes, is currently a cornerback with the Atlanta Falcons .
However, Wright's career outside of football may wind up being of further interest. He's already appeared in various films and TV shows in his life.
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Why Ceyair Wright is leaving the Bengals
On Saturday, the Bengals announced a plethora of roster moves, not atypical for this time of year — with many rookies and young talent coming in and out of camps, there's often a lot of player movement in August.
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Part of those announced moves was that Wright "left the team to pursue other opportunities," placed on the Exempt/Left Squad list. The reasoning behind that decision was particularly intriguing.
Head coach Zac Taylor didn't specifically say Wright was pursuing acting, but certainly hinted at it on Saturday.
"Two things he's really passionate about were colliding, and he decided to pursue this opportunity," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said, per ESPN. "We wish him the best. He was fun to be around, he really competed hard for us. It was fun watching him play. I thought he was ascending as a player, but obviously he's chosen to go a different path."
Ceyair Wright NFL Draft
Wright went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft coming out of Nebraska.
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In the 2025 season, he posted 29 tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss, 0.5 sacks and led the Cornhuskers with five pass breakups over nine starts, named an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection.
After going undrafted, Wright signed a deal with the Bengals in May.
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Ceyair Wright acting career
Wright has already been developing his acting career in the background of football.
Among TV shows he has had roles in are "Instant Mom" in 2014, "2 Broke Girls" in 2017, "Training Day" in 2017 and "Grown-ish" in 2022-23.
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Ceyair Wright movies
Wright has also appeared in three movies, one of which he's well-known for in the sports world.
In 2017, he had a role in "Magic '85," and in 2018, he had a role in "American Skin."
It was Wright's 2021 appearance alongside LeBron James in "Space Jam: A New Legacy," however, that increased his presence in the acting world.
Ceyair Wright 'Space Jam 2' role
Wright played James' eldest son, Darius James, in 2021's "Space Jam: A New Legacy."
The role was fictionalized version of James' real oldest son, Bronny. In the film, Wright's character follows in his father's footsteps to pursue basketball. Later on, he cheers James on as he and the Tune Squad take on the Goon Squad.
