Biography
CAREER
Will come back for a fifth season at Columbia after losing his third year with an season-ending injury after game one … Played in 29 games with 29 career starts … In his four-year collegiate career, has made 170 receptions for 2,133 yards with 18 receiving touchdowns and a 12.5 yards per catch average … As a key contributor on special teams through his first three seasons (punt returns), has totaled 2,593 career all-purpose yards … Owns school records for nine career statistical categories: most receiving yards in a season (1,001 as a sophomore in 2017), career receptions per game (5.90), fastest to 1,000-yards receiving (14 games, 77 receptions), fastest to 1,500-yards receiving (19 games, 120 receptions), fastest to 2,000-yards receiving (28 games, 161 receptions), most touchdown receptions for a first-year (5 in 2016), most receiving yards for a sophomore (1,001 in 2017), and most receptions for a sophomore (78) … Ranks among Columbia’s career statistical leaders in most yards (No. 4, 2,133), most receptions (No. 3, 170), most touchdown receptions (No. 3, 18), and most games with a reception (No. 2, 29) … Also ranks among career school leaders in most touchdowns scored (No. 8, 18), most all-purpose yards (No. 8, 2,593), most all-purpose yards per game (No. 7, 89.4), and most punt return yards (No. 12, 252) … Has registered eight career 100-yard receiving games, four double digit reception games and four multi-touchdown contests … Had a string of five consecutive games with at least one touchdown catch (Nov. 5, 2016-Sept. 30, 2017) … Averaged 73.6 yards receiving per game and 12.5 yards per catch on career.
2020
Named a preseason Second Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine.
2019
Third Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Played and started in nine of 10 games as a senior wide receiver … Named team co-captain for 2019 season with fellow senior linebacker Michael Murphy … Named preseason Second Team All-Ivy League honors by Phil Steele Magazine … Named the team’s co-Head Coach Achievement Award at team banquet … Led Lions in receptions (46), receiving yards (571), touchdown receptions (five) and yards receiving per game (63.4), ranked No. 2 on the team in all-purpose yards (570), and No. 3 on the squad in scoring (five touchdowns, 30 points) … Averaged 5.1 receptions per game and 12.4 yards per catch … Ranked among Ivy League leaders in two statistical categories: No. 5 in receptions per game (5.1) and No. 9 in receiving yards per game (64.6) … Long reception on the year was 44 yards … Finished year with three 100-yard receiving games, one multi-touchdown game … Caught at least three passes in all nine games played … In final two games of the year (vs. Brown and at Cornell), combined to catch 15 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns … In season finale, caught a season-high nine passes for 109 yards and a 10-yard touchdown catch at Cornell (Nov. 23) … Finished with season-highs for receiving yards (136) and touchdown receptions (two) on six catches and scored on catches of 34 and 44 yards vs. Brown (Nov. 16) … Also became the fourth player in school history to surpass 2,000-yards receiving and set a school-record for fastest to 2,000-yards receiving in a career (28 games and 161 catches) … Caught three passes for 27 yards and rushed two times for two yards vs. Harvard (Nov. 9) … Sat out the Yale game (Nov. 2) with injury … Finished with six receptions for 50 yards with an 11-yard touchdown catch from Ty Lenhart and long reception of 31 yards at Dartmouth (Oct. 25) … Caught four passes for 28 yards vs. Penn (Oct. 19) … Finished with seven catches for 101 yards and a 29-yard TD reception from Josh Bean vs. Central Connecticut State (Oct. 12) … Caught three passes for 11 yards at Princeton (Oct. 5) … Finished with four receptions for 71 yards with a long of 39 yards vs. Georgetown (Sept. 28) … Caught four passes for 38 yards in his first game back from injury in season opener at Saint Francis, Pa. (Sept. 21).
2018
Saw action in one game as a junior wide receiver before suffering a season-ending injury midway through Columbia’s season opener at Central Connecticut State … Missed the season’s final nine games … Totaled 96 all-purpose yards, caught four passes for 46 yards with long of 45, returned one punt for a career-long 50 yards in season opener at Central Connecticut State (Sept. 15) … Preseason All-Ivy League First Team selection by Phil Steele Magazine.
2017
First Team All-Ivy League selection as a sophomore wide receiver … Named the team’s Offensive Most Valuable Player … Started all 10 games … Set school-record for most receiving yards in a season with 1,001, topping the previous record held by Don Lewis (1,000 in 1982) by one yard … Led Columbia in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,001), receiving touchdowns (eight), all-purpose yardage (1,127) and punt returns (16-98) … Concluded the year ranked No. 6 nationally in receptions per game (7.8), No. 11 in receiving yards per game (100.1), No. 16 in receiving yards (1,001) and No. 24 in receiving touchdowns (eight) and ranked among Ivy League leaders in receptions/game (No. 3, 7.8), receiving yards per game (No. 3, 1,001), scoring (No. 9, 4.8 per game) and all-purpose yardage (No. 5, 112.7) … With his 78 receptions, finished second on Columbia’s all-time season records list for catches (record is 84 by Don Lewis, 1982) … Ranked seventh on Columbia’s all-time season touchdown receptions list (8) … Totaled four 100-yard receiving games, three 10-plus reception games and two multi-touchdown games … Ranked second on the Lions in scoring with 48 points and eight touchdowns receiving … Averaged 112.7 all-purpose yards per game on 1,127 total all-purpose yards on year (1,001 receiving, three rushing, 98 on punt returns and 25 on kick returns) … Led Columbia with 15 total plays spanning 20 or more yards and had five plays of over 40 yards … Caught at least one or more touchdown passes in six of 10 games on year … Caught a career-high 13 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown in the season finale vs. Brown (Nov. 18) … His six-yard touchdown set the school’s season receiving yards record … Caught nine passes for 140 yards, including a 39-yard reception at Cornell (Nov. 11) … Finished with seven receptions for 63 yards vs. Harvard (Nov. 4) … Caught three passes for 34 yards at Yale (Oct. 28) … Named the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 16 after he caught a 24-yard game-winning touchdown in overtime, caught 10 passes for a career-high 193 yards and two TDs in a 34-31 overtime win over Penn … Named the John Toner Homecoming Player of the Game for his effort, becoming the first-ever offensive player to win the award … Also had a long catch of 59-yards … Also totaled a career-best 209 all-purpose yards (193 receiving, three rushing, 11 on punt returns) … Caught 69-yard touchdown pass and five total receptions for 89 yards at Marist (Oct. 7) … Made seven receptions for 78 yards at Princeton (Sept. 30) … Made two touchdown catches and nine passes for 74 yards, totaled 122 all-purpose yards (three punt returns for 48 yards) vs. Georgetown (Sept. 23) … Finished with 104 receiving yards and a 55-yard TD on four catches in season opener vs. Wagner (Sept. 16).
2016
Made an immediate impact as he played in nine games with eight starts as a first-year wide receiver … Named the Ken Germann Freshman award-winner, for the most accomplished and outstanding freshman player … Ranked among Ivy League leaders in several categories: receptions per game (No. 5, 4.7), receiving yards per game (No. 5, 57.2) and all-purpose yardage (No. 7, 88.9) … Led the Lions in three receiving categories including receptions (42), receiving yards (515) and receiving touchdowns (five), averaged 12.3 yards per catch and 57.2 yards receiving per game and also led the team in punt returns (14-104 for a 7.4 yards per return average) … Also finished second on the squad in scoring (30 points, 5 TD), kick return yardage (173 on 8 returns, 21.6 average) and all-purpose yardage (800 including 515 receiving, eight rushing, 104 on punt returns and 173 on kick returns, averaged 88.9 all-purpose yards per game) … Concluded the season by scoring at least one touchdown in three consecutive games … Registered one 100-yard receiving game and one 10-yard reception contest … Made a career-high two touchdown receptions, caught five passes for a career-high 150 receiving yards, including a 47-yarder in season finale at Brown (Nov. 19) … Finished with five catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, including a 33-yard reception vs. Cornell (Nov. 12) … Caught seven passes for 58 yards and a touchdown at Harvard (Nov. 5) … Caught a career-high 10 passes for 81 yards at Wagner (Oct. 8) … Caught three passes for 97 yards, totaled 104 all-purpose yards, including a career-long 88-yard touchdown reception from Anders Hill vs. Princeton (Oct. 1) … Accumulated a career-high 204 yards of total offense, caught seven passes for 55 yards, returned three kicks for 91 yards including a 54-yard return and returned seven punts for 58 yards at Georgetown (Sept. 24) … Caught first pass, a two-yard play in career debut vs. Saint Francis U (Sept. 17).
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2016 graduate of James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas, where he played three years of varsity football for head coach Jeff Ables … Received Texas Associated Press Class 6A All-State Honorable Mention honors … Named First Team All-Central Texas as a wide receiver … Earned First Team Class 14-6A All-District honors … Named MVP at the Texas Football Showcase … Earned MVP Award at third annual Aaron Williams Lone Star Showcase … Played wide receiver and defensive back … Caught 73 career passes for 279 yards and 19 touchdowns in career … Caught 56 passes for 1,098 yards (19.3 yards per catch) and 16 touchdowns as senior … Also accumulated 586 yards after the catch … Named team captain as a senior … Registered four 100-yard receiving games and scored touchdowns in nine of 12 games … Scored a career-high four touchdowns on seven catches for 90 yards vs. Madison … Caught six passes for 151 yards and a touchdown, along with a 65-yard reception vs. Anderson … Caught three passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns including a 62-yarder vs. Akins … Caught a career-high nine passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, including a 66-yarder vs. Lake Travis … Totaled a career-high 166 yards receiving and three touchdowns on six catches, including a 78-yarder vs. Del Valle … Two-time winner of the Austin American Statesman Game Ball of the Week Award … Led the Bulldogs to an 8-3 overall record, 6-2 league record and state playoff berth as a senior … Led the Bulldogs to a bi-district title, 9-3 overall record and 7-1 district record as a junior … Ranked a two-star by Scout … Three-sport athlete who also competed in basketball and track and field … Competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter, spring relays, long jump (22-3 ½) and triple jump (45-2) … Honor Roll student.
PERSONAL
Born Joshua William Wainwright on September 10, 1997 … Son of Dale and Debbie Wainwright … If he could have dinner with four people in the history of the world, it would be Will Smith, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King … Committed to Columbia on January 14, 2016 … Chose Columbia over a variety of schools including Northern Arizona, Lafayette, Dartmouth, Holy Cross, Houston, Montana State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Penn, Sam Houston State and Texas State … Enrolled at Columbia College … Majors in Sociology.
