North Carolina State University Athletics
Behind the Scenes With Tony Haynes: Supreme Seniority
12/18/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 18, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Terrence Holt, the brother of a budding NC State legend, came to NC State as a walk-on, but only after nixing a plan to play basketball. When Bryan Peterson arrived in Raleigh, he had just led Clinton High School to a pair of state championships, and did so as a quarterback. An industrial engineering major, George Anderson traveled all the way from a place called LaPorte, Texas to join the Wolfpack. Drew Wimsatt, Sean Berton, Shawn Price and Terrance Martin transferred from other schools. During the recruiting process, his current head coach-and others--overlooked Dantonio Burnette because of his smallish stature. Tight end Joe Gray had only played one year of organized football when he suddenly found himself being recruited by Division 1-A schools. Shane Riggs eventually became a top-notch offensive lineman, but only after initially resisting a request to move from defense to offense.
The seniors who are about to play one more football game at NC State all have different stories to tell. So dissimilar are their backgrounds that it's sometimes hard to believe they have come together to form one of the strongest and most successful senior classes in the history of the program.
During the Wolfpack Club's Spring Caravan, Pack coach Chuck Amato often spoke with envy about the senior leadership Anthony Grundy and Archie Miller provided during the NC State basketball team's run to the NCAA Tournament last spring. It was his hope that his program would one-day benefit from a group of upperclassmen whose quest for excellence would carry their team to new heights. Little did Amato know that it would happen right away.
Other than the transfers, most of the seniors didn't know Chuck Amato even existed when they signed on to play for the staff headed up by former coach Mike O'Cain. At the time, none of the recruiting gurus would have predicted that Holt would emerge from the shadows of his brother Torry to become one the nation's best safeties and special teams performers. Many recruiters thought Burnette was too small and too slow to play major college football. This fall, however, he may very well have been the best linebacker in the ACC.
Underestimated and underrated, NC State's seniors persisted through good times and bad. Anderson, Holt and some of other fifth-year players remember what it was like to beat Florida State one week and then lose to Baylor seven days later. They also remember their feelings of confusion and anxiety when O'Cain was ousted in the aftermath of a most stressful 6-6 campaign in 1999.
But through adversity they gained strength and togetherness, and their reward will be a New Year's Day bowl game against the most storied program in college football history. When they run out on the field to meet Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl on the first day of 2003, the NC State seniors will understand why they continued to persevere, even on those occasions when it didn't seem to make much sense.
"It just puts a great exclamation point on my career here," said Anderson, a steady defensive end whose 17 career sacks rank fourth in school history. "To beat Florida State in my last home game was a great way to go out at Carter-Finley. To top it off by beating a program like Notre Dame would be a tremendous accomplishment."
Peterson is just happy to have a second chance. The senior wide receiver agonized over his inability to contribute after getting injured early in last year's loss to Pittsburgh in the Tangerine Bowl. Sitting on the sidelines, Peterson convinced himself that the outcome would have been different had he been able to return to the field.
"It hurt," Peterson said. "I just pray to God that I stay healthy in this game. It really hurt me last year when I was injured and couldn't go out there and help the team. I just felt sorry for our seniors; I couldn't go out there and help them win."
Peterson's prayers will be aided by a roommate who will dedicate his life to prayer. Most players give up their final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft. J.J. Washington will exchange a fifth year in order to begin a career in the ministry. Craig Moody will do the same. Defensive back Julius "Juice" Patterson will have an engineering degree to fall back on once his football playing does are over. That long-awaited first career interception at Clemson this year will stick out in Rod Johnson's mind for years to come.
Courageously returning from two painful knee injuries earlier in his career, tackle Scott Kooistra received the highest grades on the offensive line on five different occasions this season. Players and coaches are so accustomed to calling defensive tackle Jerrick Hall by his nickname, Hova, that some can't even remember his real name.
All of their stories are different, except for the one that describes how they built a strong foundation for NC State football teams of the future. They'll be telling that story to their children the next time the Wolfpack meets Notre Dame on New Year's Day.
Three Join Pack:Three new players joined the wolfpack football squad on Wednesday, competing in pre-bowl workouts on campus. Garland Heath, LaMart Barrett, and Yomi Ojo, who will all be true freshmen in eligibilty in 2003, will travel to Jacksonville with the team. Barrett and Heath originally signed with the Wolfpack in the spring of 2002.
