North Carolina State University Athletics
Amato, Wolfpack Gear Up For Spring Football
3/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
March 4, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-Asked right off the bat during a media gathering on Monday who would run his defense during spring practice, NC State football coach Chuck Amato quickly answered "me."
Hinting that there really was no immediate sense of urgency to hire a new defensive coordinator to replace Buddy Green, Amato said spring drills, which get underway in two weeks, would be about improving in the basic fundamentals of football like blocking and tackling. No defensive coordinator will be necessary.
"We've got enough people already here that know what we're doing and we're going to be very, very basic defensively," Amato said. "All the scheming can come later. I think spring practice is a time to improve yourself fundamentally and get better at the meat and potatoes, which in football is blocking and tackling. We've got learn how to take on a blocker, whip a blocker and get our fanny to the football."
But Amato was also quick to point out that he wasn't interested in running the defense beyond spring practice. That job will fall on the shoulders of whomever is tabbed to succeed Green, who took a similar position at Navy a few months ago.
"I wouldn't try to do that," he said. "There's too many other things I've got to do. I'll put my two cents into it. That (hiring a new coordinator) will happen this spring. It is important, but for our situation right now, it's not important. It's important to make the puzzle fit."
Amato may actually spend quite a bit of his time watching the offense, particularly an offensive line that will undergo some changes. Working inside veteran tackles Scott Kooistra and Chris Colmer next season will be a pair of guards that have been moved over from the defensive side of the ball. Once defensive tackles themselves, Shane Riggs and Sean Locklear will turn around and block defensive tackles next season. Currently listed as first team guards on the depth chart, the two players will try to fill the void left by last year's starters, William Brown and Keegan Weir.
"I hope it works because I think Sean is one of our top 22 football players," Amato said of Locklear's move. "He's a big young man who is a very good athlete, he's strong, he's a very good technician and he's smart. I think that's the way to do it, you recruit as many defensive linemen as you can and then you move them over there (to offense). Sometimes you might have a better athlete than if you go recruit just plain offensive linemen. That's as good a looking a line as we've had since I've been here. You've got two tackles that started all 12 games last year and did a good job. With Riggs, Locklear and Jed Paulsen in there, you've got a new threesome in the middle. The two guards, they're around 290. Locklear, he's 293 and he doesn't look it. Riggs is 292 pounds and very strong."
Paulsen, a sophomore who saw some action last season, will become the starting center. Derek Green, a starter in all 12 games during last falls 7-5 campaign, decided not to come back for a final year of eligibility after graduating.
Colmer and running back K.J. Stone will miss spring drills for different reasons. Colmer, a 6-5, 299 pound junior, will sit out after undergoing ankle surgery. Stone has withdrawn from school for the time being to attend to some family matters. Amato hopes he'll return when summer classes begin.
