North Carolina State University Athletics
Catching up with Wolfpack Draft Picks
7/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 9, 2004
By Tony Haynes
For many, summer vacations are just beginning. But for the three NC State football players who were taken in last April's NFL Draft, crunch time is about to arrive. Quarterback Philip Rivers, wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and guard Sean Locklear will soon be encountering the most grueling, physical and challenging endurance test they have ever faced when they report to their respective NFL training camps. To be sure, two-a-days in college were tough enough, but nothing quite matches the level of physical and mental commitment required to get through the NFL preseason.
The fourth player selected in this year's draft, Rivers will begin his quest to win the starting quarterback job with the San Diego Chargers when that club opens camp on July 30 in Carson, California. He expected to push veteran incumbent Drew Brees for the starting nod.
After competing against each other in high school before forming one of the nation's best quarterback-to-receiver combinations, Rivers and Cotchery will now reside on opposite coasts. Cotchery, a fourth-round pick of the Jets, will start his first NFL training camp at Hofstra University on July 29.
A two-time first-team All-ACC selections, Cotchery set a new school mark with 200 career receptions, while also helping Rivers to become the ACC's all-time leading passer and No. 2 on the NCAA career list.
Although he didn't receive as much notoriety as his two teammates, offensive lineman Sean Locklear was also a major reason why NC State was able to field one of the nation's most explosive offenses over the last few years. Projected as a guard in the NFL, the Lumberton native is now the property of the Seattle Seahawks, who took him in the second round. Locklear gets to work on August 2nd at Eastern Washington University.
