Senior Spotlight: Mike Stevens

RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State senior cornerback Mike Stevens is the most well-known member of the Wolfpack's secondary and for good reason – he played more snaps in 2016 (805) than any other returning player, despite missing the Independence Bowl due to injury

He also had one of the squad's most memorable moments of the 2016 season, pulling down his second career interception against No. 3 Clemson, returning it 28 yards for a touchdown in that overtime game against the eventual national champions.

So it's safe to say, Steven's contributions to NC State on the field are highly-valued.

And after missing the first four games of the season with an injury he suffered in preseason camp, Stevens has returned to the lineup and in his first start of the season at Pittsburgh he recorded his first interception of the season.

Unknown to many, however, are the contributions Stevens has made off the field at NC State, not only to the football program, but to the athletic department as a whole.

Over the previous summer, Stevens, a Sports Management major, interned in the athletic communications office at NC State, and proved to be just as valuable in the office as he is on the field.

"Annabelle Myers (Assistant AD/Communications) set me up with Craig Hammel, the primary communications contact for men's basketball, so over the summer I did my internship with the basketball program and I loved it," he said. "I learned a lot about the basketball program and how communications and marketing tie into athletics at the college level."

There are thousands of high-quality photos taken at NC State athletic events and in order for them to be organized correctly so they can quickly and efficiently be posted to GoPack.com along with the NC State athletic social media accounts, somebody has to tag them with their respective sport and the name of the student-athletes in them. This highly under-appreciated, yet crucial task was assigned to Stevens over the summer. Along with this, Stevens was also tasked with various research projects.

While Steven's goal is to play the play in the NFL, his experience working in athletic communications opened his eyes to a potential post playing-career opportunity.

"I'm definitely more interested in communications than I was before after being with Craig and Austin Gaines (former assistant director of Creative Services) all summer," he articulated. "It sparked an interest. I loved the pictures they took, and the way they'd market the student-athletes on the basketball team. The department is so supportive of those guys. It's a very cool job."

Stevens speaks glowingly of the supportive culture at NC State, so much so that his brother, redshirt-freshman linebacker Matt Stevens, ended up joining him as part of the Wolfpack football program, redshirting at linebacker last season.

It is also not unusual to see Stevens's father, Mike, at practice. He is a regular attendee, further adding to the family environment around the team. Mike Sr. is a pastor, while his mother, Sharon, supports him and their 15-year-old daughter Charisma.

"NC State is special because of the family environment we have here," he explained. "A lot of people say it, but I'm actually living it. I've got so many brothers on the team that I wouldn't trade for the world. That's why it's special to me."

During his early years on the team, Stevens looked up to the likes of Juston Burris and Art Norman.

"When I came in, those guys showed me the way and what it takes to be a good player here, and how to become a man" he said. "I'll never forget the memories I've had here and the times I got to spend with those guys."

These days, he lists Jaylen Samuels, Jerod Fernandez and Bradley Chubb as his best friends on the team. While he is quiet by nature, to those closest to him he is known for his quick wit and sense of humor.

Good-natured ribbing is part of any friendship, and Stevens still finds himself on the receiving end thanks to an on-field incident during his freshman year. This particular situation also illustrates just how much he has grown both as a football player and as a man throughout his time here.

"Freshman year against Georgia Tech, Coach Barlow threw me in early in the game" he explained. "They ran the triple option and all week we had been talking about cutting. They were cutting and I wasn't really paying attention, I just wanted to be out on the field. A guard pulled and he cut me, so I landed on my neck sideways. My teammates always get on me about that, I got cut pretty bad. That was my first game and I learned college football was real, big linemen were real. It was an eye opener."

The important lesson Stevens learned during his initiation into college football has been applied ever since.

He will continue to apply the lessons learned throughout his time with the Wolfpack during the 2017 season – however it was a little later than expected as Stevens was forced to miss the early part of the season due to an injury sustained during fall training camp.

"When it first happened, I didn't know what to think, my mind was racing" he said. "The support system is so great here, with my family and everyone else involved with the program. Right after the injury I got back to work, trying to get back to one-hundred percent."

Thanks to the excellent sports medicine staff at NC State, Stevens was rehabbing shortly after and doing everything in his power to be back on the field and taking charge of the Wolfpack's secondary once again.

Wolfpack Nation will be eager to see Stevens back out on the field, but the same cannot be said for opposing receivers and quarterbacks.

"The strength of my game is definitely man coverage" he articulated. "After that, I love leading the secondary. I was able to play so many snaps because I was playing for my teammates when they needed me, so I was there to do it."

Given how solid he has been throughout his career, the NFL is a definite possibility for Stevens. Combined with his interest in athletic communications, Stevens is just another example of a young man to come through the NC State football team with the world at his feet.

Players Mentioned

Bradley Chubb

Jerod Fernandez

Jaylen Samuels

Matt Stevens

Mike Stevens

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