North Carolina State University Athletics
BY TIM PEELER: Tulloch's Biggest Day
12/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 31, 2005
BY TIM PEELER
CHARLOTTE -- On the day before his 21st birthday, Stephen Tulloch couldn't help but think Saturday about his high school friend, John Jarret, who never had the chance to make it that far in life.
Jarret, a buddy from Miami's Killian High School, died after a second bout with cancer during Tulloch's freshman season at NC State. Tulloch still regrets that he wasn't able to go to the funeral, because it happened during the season.
So that's why the fiery junior linebacker has Jarret's name written in black ink on his taped left wrist.
"I had the chance to speak with him right before he died, and he told me: `Stay strong, you are going to make it,'" Tulloch said. "Every time I think of him, it gives me an extra boost."
On Tulloch's other wrist, he has in simple block letters "M-O-M." That's for Mercedes Tulloch, who wasn't able to be at Saturday's Meineke Car Care Bowl because she had to stay back in Miami and work one of her two jobs.
So, as Tulloch stood in the back hallway of Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium, thinking about what he might do with the Most Valuable Player trophy he won following NC State's 14-0 victory over South Florida, he thought about the other inspiration in his life.
"I'm taking this home to my mom," said Tulloch, who was on his way to catch a flight home to Miami late Saturday evening. "She had to watch the game on television. (Sunday) is my birthday, and I am going to take this back to her. This is all pretty amazing for me."
Tulloch's performance in the game was also amazing. While South Florida carefully tried to avoid defensive ends Mario Williams and Manny Lawson, Tulloch made the Bulls pay for not thinking about him. He recorded 15 tackles, with five tackles for loss, three sacks, a fumble caused and a fumble recovered.
Three parts of those impressive stats happened on the same play, when Tulloch sacked South Florida junior quarterback Pat Julmiste, knocked the ball out of his hands and fell on it for one of three turnovers the Wolfpack defense created on the day.
His non-stop efforts - the workhorse linebacker didn't miss any of the 74 defensive plays in the entire game and finished the season with a team-high 815 total plays - helped the Wolfpack record its first ever shutout in 23 bowl appearances. The previous low for points allowed by NC State in a bowl game was in the 2002 Gator Bowl, a 24-6 victory over Notre Dame.
"That guy's motor never stops running," said Lawson on the field after the game. "I think he played on every snap, and he had an excellent game. I told him: `Tulloch, I know you have to be tired, because I am tired and I saw you out there on every play.'"
Tulloch credits his iron-man play - only cornerback Marcus Hudson came close to participating on 800 plays this season - to his superb conditioning, much of which came from running gassers at the end of practice because Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato was upset that Tulloch didn't always wear his required knee brace.
"Running, running, running, running, running," Tulloch said, describing his post-practice duties. "I am in the best condition I have ever been in my life."
It was something that Tulloch and Amato laughed about following the game, as they sat at the post-game podium.
"What ever Stephen does, he is a great player," said Amato, who coached Tulloch's older brother at Florida State. "I remember watching him in high school. He is so instinctive. He sees so much on the field. He is just a football player.
"He is one of the best linebackers you can be around right now. He is a big-timer."
The Wolfpack had several other players who came up big in the contest, like freshman tailback Toney Baker, who came off the bench to inject some life into the offense, with 65 rushing yards in the Wolfpack's offensively productive second quarter.
Another was senior offensive lineman John McKeon. The product of Raleigh's Leesville Road High School started his fourth different position this season against the Bulls, taking over for Leroy Harris at starting center, while Harris moved over to guard.
The three-year starter played right guard, left guard and left tackle previously during the season, but made the move at offensive line coach Mike Barry's request during pre-bowl practices. McKeon didn't have a single bad exchange with sophomore quarterback Marcus Stone.
"We like to think that our line can work together, that we are a bunch of interchangeable parts," McKeon said. "We kind of got off to a slow start today, but I think that was because we were all a little rusty because we haven't played in a month.
"But we finally got things going, and we were hitting full speed."
Finally, safety Garland Heath, who has made big defensive plays all season long for the Wolfpack, came up with another one against the Bulls, intercepting in Julmiste fourth-quarter pass in the end zone to preserve the Wolfpack's shutout, the team's first over a Division I-A opponent since a 24-0 victory over Virginia in 2001.
It was Heath's fifth interception of the season, the most by a Wolfpack defender since Lloyd Harrison had five in 1999.
The heroes, unsung and otherwise, helped the Wolfpack complete its season-ending turnaround, by winning five of the last six games and finish 7-5.
And, all the awards and accolades are nice, but Tulloch just sees Saturday's finish as a good start to next year.
"I am not going to stop here," Tulloch said. "Being the Bowl MVP is great and all, but I am out to prove that I can play with the best of them.
"I still have more to prove."
With all of next season to do it.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
