STILLWATER — Justin Wright heard his coach’s comment and began to cry.

“Man, you’re playing like a psycho,” the coach told Wright when he came to the sideline after a tackle.

Only 6 years old, Wright began to cry.

“I thought he was insulting me,” Wright said, recounting the story earlier this week.

His father, Mark, overheard the conversation and consoled his son, explaining that the coach was praising his play, not belittling him.

Soon, “psycho” became a nickname, an on-field playing style, and eventually a tattoo in 1-inch, block letters just above Wright’s left knee.

Oklahoma State folks hope the inspiration for the tattoo follows Wright for one more year. Now that he’s a Cowboy after transferring from Tulsa in December, Wright is set to play a major role at middle linebacker in the new 3-3-5 defense.

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“This defense has its variations,” Wright said, comparing the OSU scheme to the similar defense he ran at Tulsa. “Verbiage is, of course, different. I think it’s a bad habit for me to think of it like my previous defense, because that can get me tripped up at times.”

Wright seems likely to share playing time with redshirt sophomore Nick Martin, who has emerged during preseason camp as a potential playmaker. While Martin is in his third year on campus and Wright only arrived in the winter, their bond grew quickly.

“He’s a great dude, funny, real cool dude,” Martin said. “He’s actually married for three years. It’s real dope being around him. He’s a real genuine guy. Fun to be around. He came in and fit right in with our culture. I’m real excited for what he’s gonna do this year and what he’s gonna do for the team.”

Getting winter and summer workouts with highly respected OSU strength and conditioning director Rob Glass has proven valuable for Wright.

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“A lot of us on the team have put up great numbers in the weight room,” Wright said. “That’s an accomplishment. I think that’s a big part of winning defense or offense, too.

“It’s been fun. I’ve not gotten comfortable at all, but I don’t want to ever be comfortable. I think when you get comfortable is when you start declining. Ever since I got here, the workouts… it keeps you on your toes. I go home sore and tired every day and I love it.”

Having run a similar scheme before, the defense might be the easiest transition for Wright, a 6-foot-2, 244-pound super-senior who is originally from Abilene, Texas, and spent the last five seasons at Tulsa.

“The size of the school has been the biggest change,” he said. “There’s more people here. Parking is — I got a moped yesterday just because of parking, so that’s fun. It actually broke down on me today.

“But at the end of the day, it’s football… that’s all I care about.”

Oklahoma State vs. Central Arkansas

KICKOFF: 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater (ESPN+)

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State football: Justin Wright in impactful role with defense