North Carolina State University Athletics
Fowler Completes Internship By Interviewing New Snapper Lee
8/11/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 11, 2004
Raleigh, N.C. - Note from Media Relations Director Annabelle Vaughan: Senior offensive guard Rickey Fowler served an internship in the Media Relations Office this summer. Rickey did a great job, helping research men's basketball records, scanning photos, selecting pictures, helping edit the football media guide, and just generally entertaining the staff. One of Rickey's assignments was to interview one of his teammates for a website Q&A. He chose to interview snapper William Lee. The interview went so long that it ended up filling an entire tape ... so Rickey got some good practice editing! The tape even included William showing off his skills as a country singer, but that audio has not been included for the benefit our readers. Rickey: When did you first start playing football? William: I started playing football in the 7th grade; I wasn't really good back then. Rickey: What position did you play? William: I started at guard than moved to tackle. By my junior year, I was playing both positions at Fuquay High School. Rickey: Did you always want to play football at NC State? William: Well I wasn't really into football that much growing up, but I always wanted to go to NC State. I remember when I was 3 years old my parents went to the old Brendle's store in Garner and picked out this ugly blue flag. I wanted the red one, but they picked out the ugly Carolina blue flag and it was just a traumatic experience. Rickey: So you have disliked Carolina for quite some time? William: Pretty much, then my kindergarten teacher was big into State and she kind of got me interested in State. Since 1st grade I've been into NASCAR and wanting to get into NASCAR somehow. So I figured mechanical engineering would be that best way to go. Rickey: How did you become a snapper? What did you start out playing when you first came to State? William: I came to State as a long snapper, I've been long snapping the whole time. I learned how to snap out in the parking lot at Carter Finley Stadium. My algebra teacher, Mike Proctor, taught me how, because I had been throwing it between my legs like a normal anybody could do it. He told me to twist the hand and snap it and he was all into it. He taught me in the lot right before the State and Carolina game. It was a bad outcome but a pretty fun day. Rickey: What did you learn playing behind Danny Young for two years? William: I just watched him every day. He grips the ball a little bit different and he just has so much speed off the ball. I don't know how he did that or had such great accuracy but I'm getting there. Rickey: Tell me about being in the shadow of Danny Young. Is there a lot of pressure? William: I haven't felt the pressure yet; it might come in September, but no pressure yet. Rickey: Being a long snapper, you are basically looking at the world upside down between your legs. Is that kind of weird or is that something that you become accustomed to over time? William: It's kind of weird, but I get more accustomed to it every year. The distance seems a little bit closer every year. It just looks so much farther between your legs then it does when you are standing up throwing the ball. Rickey: Do you ever get dizzy when the blood rushes to your head? William: No, not yet. Rickey: What is going through your mind when it is time for you to go out and perform. Do you have any type of rituals or superstitions that you do before a game? William: I block out all the thoughts that could get in my head and just think about getting it [the ball] back there, in pretty good time. I snapped once against Texas Tech, late in the game. The only thought that kept running through my head was, "Oh no, this could end up on the fifty-yard line." What helped me was, I thought to myself this is just like the scrimmage except with fifty thousand folks in the stands. That's the one thing that kinda calmed me down out there in those five seconds I was on the field. Rickey: Most of the guys on the team perceive you as being the country guy. You are the only one who puts country music on the stereo in the locker room and it does not get changed immediately. Why is that? William: I am a country guy, but not the only one. You've got Shane Lucas, Jed Paulsen, and James Newby. But I don't know how I do it, I guess I just pick the lucky times. Rickey: Why country music? William: Man, I love country music. It's just different, all the instrumentals and stuff in there. It is something you can go see live and it sounds just about like it does on the radio. No computers making beats and what-nots. It's just people playing instruments. I've played the guitar since I was four years old and I appreciate the instrumentals. Rickey: What type of guitar do you play? William: I had an acoustic I play that mostly, and I do have an electric. I know a few songs on the electric. Rickey: Do you write or compose any of your own music? William: I just pretty much play stuff that's already out there, like country songs on the radio and old time stuff. Rickey: Do you play any other instrument? William: I have a banjo and I have a fiddle, but having them and playing them are two different things. Rickey: Do you sing? William: A little bit. Rickey: Can we hear a little something, just for the fun of it? William: William Lee begins to sing the song that is played as a ring-tone on his cellular phone. Rickey: With that beautiful voice of yours, do you think you could become the next Clay Aiken of Raleigh? William: I think I would be more like the next William Hung Rickey: Outside of sports what your hobbies? William: I really like NASCAR. Rickey: So why NASCAR and mechanical engineering? William: I've always been good in math and didn't like English too much, so I figured that that would be the best thing to go into. Rickey: So what is it about NASCAR that you love so much? William: The speed. They just get those cars weighing about 3500 pounds going around so fast and then getting around the corners with so much speed. It's amazing to go to the races and feel the bleacher shake under your feet. Rickey: Would you rather fix the car or drive the car? William: I'm practical, so I think I would like fixing them. The driving would be fun but there are not that many opportunities. Rickey: Who is your favorite driver? William: I've always been a Bill Elliot fan, but I've got to pull for Kasey Kahne now, because he took over the #9 car since Elliot has semi-retired. I've been pulling for the #9 car (well the nine and eleven, ninety four and then back to nine) since I was about 6. Rickey: Who are the nine, eleven and ninety four? William: Those are all Bill Elliot's cars; he switched around and finally ended back up at #9 where he started. Rickey: What are some interesting things that have happened to you at the racetrack? William: Some guy jumped over us once when Mark Martin took the lead. He jumped from about the fourth row over us to the grass. I've met a few drivers. I had a pit pass when I was 8 years old and you are supposed to be 16 to get into the pit. I got to meet Bill Elliot when I was 8 years old and got his autograph. I met Junior Johnson, his owner at the time, and Robert Yates and real big engine builder here, one of the best. Rickey: If you were to ever get into NASCAR, what would you want to do? William: To start off with, I would like to be on one of the pit crews changing tires. There is a lot of competition involved in that and you use the speed and quickness you have to get the lugs and tires off and on as fast as possible. I think there is a former player from here that's on a pit-crew. Rickey: Do you always start off on the tires in a pit-crew? William: I think that floor-sweeping is a normal starting off job. Rickey: So how are you practicing for your future job as a fast tire changer? William: Well down at the race track they have these displays where you can try it out. There is one display that has a two tire stop. You have to take the lugs off, throw the tire away, and put another back on by yourself. I got that down to 9.15 seconds, the best time of the weekend at the track in Charlotte. Rickey: So you're pretty good already. William: That took a lot of tries. Rickey: What is a good time for a pit-crew to do a full pit stop? A. For four tires they are crews changing with times as fast as 13 seconds, and that's just amazing. Some of the air guns are filled with nitrogen, so they are a little bit stronger than the one I used in the display. Q. So are you building any type of project car? A. I really don't have time. I have looked into motor-sport clubs here at school. They did have a legends program but it got cancelled, due to insurance or budget cuts or something. Q. Do you have any brothers or sisters? A. I am the only child. Q. Being the only child, what types of things do you do for fun and entertainment? A. A lot of Nintendo, but I had a lot of real good friends that lived close by. One of them is in Iraq now, Sergio Cadoy, and the other one is in Connecticut now in the navy, Adam Matthews. They lived close by and we had some fun. Q. What do you do now for fun, to pass time and just chill out? A. Well in the summer time I go down to White Lake, where my parents have been renting a cottage there since I was six months old. We have a boat, it's old but it still runs. I've learned how to knee board from the neighbors who used to live there, but they moved across the lake. I can't knee board any more because I am getting too old for that. I learned how to wake board a few years ago and it is pretty fun. I can't do any of those fancy 360's, flips, back flips and other tricks. I might be able to do a 360 but I would not land it. Q. What other nicknames do you have besides Bill Lee & General Lee that we might not know about? A. My best friend growing up always called me "Wonka," like Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. I really don't know why he calls me that, but he does. Then when people found out my middle name they started calling me Captain Morgan. Q. So who or what are you most thankful for, and why? A. I am most thankful for my parents, because they are the ones that truly believe in me. Plus they are the ones who have paid my way in school, since I am a walk on and play football I don't have time to get a job. Also I would like to thank all my past and present coaches for never giving up on me.
