The Wright Way

by Tina Borgatta | Riviera Orange County magazine | January 27, 2012

When Steve Wright walks into a room, heads turn. And, it’s not just the ladies who notice him. Women are drawn to his striking looks (tall, athletic build, silver hair and chiseled features), but men—especially football fans—recognize him from his days as an offensive lineman in the NFL (he played for the Cowboys, Colts and Raiders) or, even more likely, from his stint on the CBS reality series Survivor: Redemption Island. (The program aired in the spring of 2011, and Wright spent 31 days in the game.

“Boston Rob” Mariano won the million that time.) “It’s all real,” he says of the Survivor experience, before the question’s even posed. He’s asked that a lot, it seems. “We lived on the beach. It rained every night. We only ate rice. It’s just like it looks.”

These days, Wright spends his time working out (he rides his bike to the gym and then hits the beach at Huntington for deep-sand cardio runs and swims) and teaming entrepreneurs with investors—vetting plans, products and services, and then finding just the right backers to bring concepts to market. (It’s a “win-win.”) He’s also got a patent pending on a product of his own—one he hopes will be used by sports fans around the globe. But it’s not his first venture. After retiring from football, he founded Cloudburst, which manufactures all of those misters you see cooling players on the sidelines. (He brought a welcome chill to the 1996 Summer Olympics in “Hotlanta,” too.) He sold that business in 2000. But he discovered something along the way: Business is a lot like football. You’ve got to stay focused and be prepared for anything, because, he says, “playing offense is a lot more fun than playing defense.”

Wright’s Hots
Early morning exercise on the beach, his golden retriever Jaxson, exotic tropical destinations, closing deals, paying it forward

Wright’s Nots
Politics, injustices, litter, rude people, lack of willpower