Arizona’s Gary Brightwell Selected By New York Giants

Arizona running back Gary Brightwell was taken in the sixth round (196th overall) by the New York Giants on Saturday. 

In 2020, Brightwell was a Pac-12 Honorable Mention after he ran for 409 yards in a shortened season. He ran over 100 yards twice in five of Arizona’s games, including a memorable 132 all-purpose yards against USC in the Wildcats season-opener. 

Gary Brightwell's comin' to Big Blue❗️

📰: https://t.co/l0YixRGepq pic.twitter.com/aIyrtz7ah3

— New York Giants (@Giants) May 1, 2021

A 6-foot-1, 218-pound back out of Pennsylvania, Brightwell also had a productive 2019 season where he was one of Arizona’s featured backs. He broke onto the scene in Arizona’s home opener against NAU when he had 141 yards on just five carries, as he continued to break free for large chunks of yardage.

As a sophomore, he was the Wildcats No. 2 option on the depth chart, but Brightwell continued to grow and progress over his four seasons in Tucson. He is the first Arizona offensive player taken in the draft since Ka’Deem Carry in 2014. 

Brightwell concludes his career in Tucson rushing for 1,305 yards and nine touchdowns during his time as a Wildcat.