2016 NC State Athletic Hall of Fame: Dick Christy
8/9/2016 8:02:00 AM | Football
Hall of Fame ceremony takes place Sept. 16 in the newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum
NC State Athletic Hall of Fame | 2016 Induction Ceremony | Purchase Tickets
RALEIGH, N.C. - Not many people have the distinction of being responsible for all of the points scored in a collegiate football game. Dick Christy, a 2016 NC State Hall of Fame inductee, is among that elite group.
In 1957, Christy helped lead NC State to a 29-26 victory against South Carolina to clinch the Wolfpack's first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship. The senior halfback scored four touchdowns, contributed a couple two-point conversions and made the game-winning field goal against the Gamecocks.
Ironically, the Pack's do-it-all player had never attempted a field goal in a game, but was able to convince head coach Earle Edwards to give him a shot. Christy was having such a fantastic all-around day on the field that Edwards figured why not give him a shot at it.
The gamble paid off for Edwards and NC State, as Christy drilled the 46-yard field goal to give the Wolfpack the victory to complete its first unbeaten ACC season at 5-0-1, with a tie that year versus Duke.
Nearly sixty years later, that feat still ranks among the top individual performances in NC State history and is the fourth-most points scored in a game by a single player.
Standout performances were nothing out of the ordinary for Christy during his tenure at NCSU, as he was the first Wolfpack football student-athlete to collect the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year awards. In addition, Christy garnered First Team All-America honors as a senior in 1957.
"For that time period, I just think he was tough to handle," said Dick Christy, grandson of the late Christy and Athletics Director at UNC Pembroke. "He was 5'11", 205 pounds and could run the 100-yard dash in 10.7 seconds and you just didn't see that type of athlete back then. You had linebackers that were around 190 pounds, so I think that was a lot to handle and that definitely helped him have so much success."
Despite all the success Christy had in his career, it didn't come as easily as most may think. He spent his freshman year on the junior varsity football team before playing his final three seasons on varsity. A very decorated prep player, the Chester, Pa., chose to continue his football career at NC State for a very unique reason.
"One of my grandfather's goals was to get married before he went to college," Christy added. "Back then it was pretty rigid, as far as your living arrangements for a college football athlete. Football only dorms at a lot of the big schools that he was being recruited by and NC State gave him the flexibility to not only marry my grandmother, but also to be able to play big time football."
Other programs recruiting Christy insisted that he wait until his collegiate career was over to get married, but NC State thought otherwise and it turned out to be a great move for the Wolfpack.
When Christy's career in a Wolfpack uniform concluded, he owned 14 school records and four ACC records. He continues to hold the program mark for best rushing average in a single season, gaining 7.1 yards per carry.
Christy was NC State's leading rusher in each of his three seasons on the varsity squad and also paced the Pack in receiving his senior year, one of the many reasons he was voted ACC Player of the Year that season.
The All-American finished his career at NC State with 1,817 yards, which ranks among the top 15 in school history, on 348 rushing attempts.
Despite most of his accolades coming on the offensive side of the ball, Christy was a two-way player as most were during that time frame and was also a member of the NC State diving team.
"I always found it neat to interact with some of his teammates while I was working at NC State to hear about him on the defensive side of the ball, off the field and as a teammate as well," added Christy. "It was really a life-changing experience for him while he was in Raleigh."
He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of college in 1958 and played five seasons in the AFL/NFL with the Steelers, Boston Patriots and New York Titans.
Christy's jersey number, 40, was retired on Nov. 8, 1997, when the Wolfpack defeated Maryland, 45-28, at Carter-Finley Stadium. In 1978, he was named to the ACC Silver Anniversary Team and the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team in 2003.
"It means a lot to the family to come back to the stadium and see his number among the retired and honored jerseys," Christy explained. "My uncles and great uncles have been down for a couple games and it means a lot to them to see the Walk of Fame at the stadium there. When Les Robinson originally coordinated having his jersey retired in 1997, we had a big contingent of family come down and that gave them a little pride and closure."
Christy died well before his time, as a car accident claimed the life of the Wolfpack legend on Aug. 27, 1966 near his hometown in Pennsylvania.
Christy is one of six members to be inducted into the 2016 NC State Hall of Fame.
"I think he would be humbled by the opportunity to be inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame and deflective of the spotlight," Christy said. "Our family takes great pride in the recognition and we're really excited that he's going to be in such an unbelievable class and get this type of recognition among so many deserving athletes.
"When I got the call from Dr. Yow initially that he would be going into the HOF and I was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of people that are still on the docket with our long history of great athletes at NC State, so it's definitely competitive. I'm really humbled that he is going in and it makes it really special that the Reynolds Coliseum renovation will be completed by then and we'll actually get a chance to see it in its permanent home. We feel very fortunate and it's another great chance to get together with family and get them to Raleigh."
Created in 2012 and now boasting 36 total members, the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame will honor its 2016 class in a grand reopening gala on Friday, September 16 at the newly-renovated Reynolds Coliseum. To purchase tickets to the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Induction Ceremony, click HERE.
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RALEIGH, N.C. - Not many people have the distinction of being responsible for all of the points scored in a collegiate football game. Dick Christy, a 2016 NC State Hall of Fame inductee, is among that elite group.
In 1957, Christy helped lead NC State to a 29-26 victory against South Carolina to clinch the Wolfpack's first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championship. The senior halfback scored four touchdowns, contributed a couple two-point conversions and made the game-winning field goal against the Gamecocks.
Ironically, the Pack's do-it-all player had never attempted a field goal in a game, but was able to convince head coach Earle Edwards to give him a shot. Christy was having such a fantastic all-around day on the field that Edwards figured why not give him a shot at it.
The gamble paid off for Edwards and NC State, as Christy drilled the 46-yard field goal to give the Wolfpack the victory to complete its first unbeaten ACC season at 5-0-1, with a tie that year versus Duke.
Nearly sixty years later, that feat still ranks among the top individual performances in NC State history and is the fourth-most points scored in a game by a single player.
Standout performances were nothing out of the ordinary for Christy during his tenure at NCSU, as he was the first Wolfpack football student-athlete to collect the ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year awards. In addition, Christy garnered First Team All-America honors as a senior in 1957.
"For that time period, I just think he was tough to handle," said Dick Christy, grandson of the late Christy and Athletics Director at UNC Pembroke. "He was 5'11", 205 pounds and could run the 100-yard dash in 10.7 seconds and you just didn't see that type of athlete back then. You had linebackers that were around 190 pounds, so I think that was a lot to handle and that definitely helped him have so much success."
Despite all the success Christy had in his career, it didn't come as easily as most may think. He spent his freshman year on the junior varsity football team before playing his final three seasons on varsity. A very decorated prep player, the Chester, Pa., chose to continue his football career at NC State for a very unique reason.
"One of my grandfather's goals was to get married before he went to college," Christy added. "Back then it was pretty rigid, as far as your living arrangements for a college football athlete. Football only dorms at a lot of the big schools that he was being recruited by and NC State gave him the flexibility to not only marry my grandmother, but also to be able to play big time football."
Other programs recruiting Christy insisted that he wait until his collegiate career was over to get married, but NC State thought otherwise and it turned out to be a great move for the Wolfpack.
When Christy's career in a Wolfpack uniform concluded, he owned 14 school records and four ACC records. He continues to hold the program mark for best rushing average in a single season, gaining 7.1 yards per carry.
Christy was NC State's leading rusher in each of his three seasons on the varsity squad and also paced the Pack in receiving his senior year, one of the many reasons he was voted ACC Player of the Year that season.
The All-American finished his career at NC State with 1,817 yards, which ranks among the top 15 in school history, on 348 rushing attempts.
Despite most of his accolades coming on the offensive side of the ball, Christy was a two-way player as most were during that time frame and was also a member of the NC State diving team.
"I always found it neat to interact with some of his teammates while I was working at NC State to hear about him on the defensive side of the ball, off the field and as a teammate as well," added Christy. "It was really a life-changing experience for him while he was in Raleigh."
He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers out of college in 1958 and played five seasons in the AFL/NFL with the Steelers, Boston Patriots and New York Titans.
Christy's jersey number, 40, was retired on Nov. 8, 1997, when the Wolfpack defeated Maryland, 45-28, at Carter-Finley Stadium. In 1978, he was named to the ACC Silver Anniversary Team and the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team in 2003.
"It means a lot to the family to come back to the stadium and see his number among the retired and honored jerseys," Christy explained. "My uncles and great uncles have been down for a couple games and it means a lot to them to see the Walk of Fame at the stadium there. When Les Robinson originally coordinated having his jersey retired in 1997, we had a big contingent of family come down and that gave them a little pride and closure."
Christy died well before his time, as a car accident claimed the life of the Wolfpack legend on Aug. 27, 1966 near his hometown in Pennsylvania.
Christy is one of six members to be inducted into the 2016 NC State Hall of Fame.
"I think he would be humbled by the opportunity to be inducted into the NC State Athletics Hall of Fame and deflective of the spotlight," Christy said. "Our family takes great pride in the recognition and we're really excited that he's going to be in such an unbelievable class and get this type of recognition among so many deserving athletes.
"When I got the call from Dr. Yow initially that he would be going into the HOF and I was pleasantly surprised. There are a lot of people that are still on the docket with our long history of great athletes at NC State, so it's definitely competitive. I'm really humbled that he is going in and it makes it really special that the Reynolds Coliseum renovation will be completed by then and we'll actually get a chance to see it in its permanent home. We feel very fortunate and it's another great chance to get together with family and get them to Raleigh."
Created in 2012 and now boasting 36 total members, the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame will honor its 2016 class in a grand reopening gala on Friday, September 16 at the newly-renovated Reynolds Coliseum. To purchase tickets to the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2016 Induction Ceremony, click HERE.
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