North Carolina State University Athletics
Bowl Week Continues 12-30-05
12/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 30, 2005
One day left! The team spent the day in meetings and at the Meineke Car Care Bowl Kickoff Luncheon, before having team dinner at 6 pm tonight. The day had a later start for most of the team, but the captains, Marcus Hudson, Oliver Hoyte, Manny Lawson and T.J. Williams left at 9 a.m. with Marcus Stone and coach Chuck Amato for a media day event at the Mimosa Grill. The grill was located a couple of blocks away, so the players and coach walked the distance to the event.
The players and Amato were spread throughout the grill, as NC State and USF media, as well as the local Charlotte media, rotated throughout the room interviewing the players from both team. During breaks, the players listened to music or read through the press guides to pass the time.
After media day, the five players and Amato walked another few blocks to the convention center for the Kickoff Luncheon. We arrived almost an hour before the luncheon actually started, so we relaxed in a small conference room. After about a 30 minute wait, a familiar face walked in to the room, George Foreman! He walked through the room and talked with the players, then Amato began to reminisce with Foreman about his fighting career and Foreman talked about how much winning a gold medal meant to him when he was 18 years old. After a few minutes the players finally got to GET an autograph, rather than giving them all the time! Foreman graciously signed the players media guides, and the players and Amato posed for a picture as well. All in all it was a pretty nice experience for everyone.
The luncheon went smooth, with Chancellor Oblinger, Athletics Director Lee Fowler and Head Coach Chuck Amato joined the USF staff and Meineke representatives at the head table. Over 250+ players, staff, and guests from both schools enjoyed a good lunch and speeches by George Foreman, and each head coach. Both bands and cheerleaders also made an appearance at the luncheon.
The team returned to the hotel briefly, then made its way to Bank Of America stadium for a brief walkthrough. The equipment people are unloading the truck at the stadium, setting up the lockerroom in preparation for tomorrow's game. So brief in fact, assistant sports information director Pat Norris was inadvertently left at the stadium as he went over lineup changes with the ESPN producers. Not to worry, he made it back after a 15 minute walk back to the hotel through beautiful downtown Charlotte.
Curfew is at 10 pm tonight, and the players have a 6:30 am wakeup call before heading to the stadium around 9 am.
