North Carolina State University Athletics
Amato Wants Attention Focused On Players
8/28/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
Since he was hired as NC State's head football coach last January, Chuck Amato has been the center of attention.
His arrival on campus has created a football fever not seen around Raleigh since the mid-1970's when Lou Holtz was taking Pack football to new heights. Eager for the beginning of a new era, Wolfpack fans have been scooping up tickets at a record pace.
That new era will finally begin on Saturday night when NC State hosts Arkansas State in what will always be remembered as Amato's debut.
"This game isn't about Chuck Amato," Amato said during his weekly press gathering on Monday. "This game is about North Carolina State football, period."
While it's true that very few people will be watching Amato on the sidelines once the ball is kicked off, there's no denying the fact that he has become the focal point. And for all that has been said and written about Amato's success as a longtime assistant at Florida State, this will be his first game as a head coach. Season openers in general are usually filled with many unknowns, especially this one.
"We've got a lot of young people here that are going to play important roles, and you never know how they're going to react," Amato said. "We don't have a young coaching staff, but we have a new coaching staff and you don't know how we're going to react. Guess what? We'll find out Saturday."
We'll find out about a young quarterback in Philip Rivers, who to the astonishment of his coaches, won the starting job with relative ease last spring. The freshman from Athens, Alabama has demonstrated a high level of efficiency during the preseason when defenders were prohibited from laying a finger on the quarterbacks. Arkansas State's pass rushers won't be quite as passive on Saturday.
"He needs to show the poise, confidence and leadership in stressful situations like he has during the spring and all of two-a-days," Amato said of Rivers. "It is going to be different for anybody that goes in as a true freshman to play, especially at that position. Being a coach's son, he knows what those dudes on the other side are going to try to do to him. They'll try to confuse him, come after him and break him in half."
Other Wolfpack Football Notes: Ailing cornerback James Walker is expected to return to practice this week after missing a few days with a sore knee. The true freshman is slated to start at one corner with converted free safety Brian Williams taking the other side. Adrian Wilson and Terrence Holt will be the starting safeties.
Though still somewhat unsettled, the kicking chores will be handled by two players: senior Kent Passingham will kick field goals and extra points while freshman Austin Herbert will take care of the punting and kickoff duties.
