North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Davis Enjoys Defensive Debut
4/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 8, 2006
Dunlap Looks to be a Spoiler for Receiving Corps
Lowery, Brown Are Top Performers in Spring Practice
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH - Three years ago, Reggie Davis was asked to come out of what he expected to be a redshirt freshman season to fill a hole in NC State's offensive backfield. There were injuries to T.A. McLendon and others and, nine games into the season, Davis saw his first action of the year.
The Tallahassee, Fla., native was given the Al Michaels Award for putting team before self for making that sacrifice, so it is little wonder that he was willing to make another unexpected move earlier this week when approached by Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato.
On Monday, Amato asked Davis if he would like to try playing weakside linebacker for a couple of practices, with the idea he would move back to fullback for Saturday's Red-White spring scrimmage.
Davis tried it on Tuesday and Thursday and enjoyed himself so much, he didn't want to go back to offense, which has a deep lineup of tailbacks and does not rely much on using the fullback, the position where Davis settled with the emergence of tailbacks Andre Brown and Toney Baker.
In Thursday's half-scrimmage, Davis had more tackles than any linebacker has had in a scrimmage all season, Amato said. In Saturday's game, played at a soggy Carter-Finley Stadium in front of about 3,000 fans, Davis tied sophomore safety J.C. Neal for the team high with seven tackles.
"He said, `No, no, I want to stay over there.'" Amato said. "He has some really good instincts. I think it will be a work in progress."
The Wolfpack lost starters Oliver Hoyte and Stephen Tulloch from last year's linebacking corps and Amato is open to all possibilities for developing depth at all three positions.
Senior Patrick Lowery is the defense's leader at middle linebacker, with James Martin playing behind him. Junior LeRue Rumph came out of spring as the top strongside linebacker, with sophomore Kendrick Hays and redshirt freshman Avery Vogt playing behind him.
And at the weakside position, junior Ernest Jones, junior Guerlin Dervil and redshirt freshman Ray Michel are fighting with Davis for playing time.
Davis, who played on defense sparingly in high school, was anxious to get on the field, so he didn't mind making the switch.
"This is all mostly new to me," he said. "The biggest adjustment is learning the plays and coverages. Everything else is just playing football. I believe I am a great athlete and whatever challenges that are put in front of me, I am going to do it. I could be a linebacker, a running back, it really doesn't matter.
"I am just out there to help my team win."
And he plans on staying at linebacker, at least through the summer, to learn thoroughly his responsibilities.
"It probably won't be permanent until the season starts, but I am liking it right now," Davis said. "I love to go out there and hit guys and stop them for losses. Maybe I can get an interception next time.
"I am going to practice at linebacker all through the summer and get the reads and all that down."
THAT'S "E-U-G-E-N-E": One of the biggest surprises of the spring was redshirt freshman Jamelle Eugene, who appeared to be clogged behind the sophomore tailback tandem of Andre Brown and Toney Baker. And while Baker ran for a team-high 114 yards on nine carries in the scrimmage and Brown had 58 on 10 carries, Eugene continued to open eyes with his play as all three tailbacks rushed for touchdown.
Eugene, a Naples, Fla., native not only rushed for 105 yards on a team-high 16 carries, he also caught three passes for 29 yards.
"I showed I can run with the big boys," said the 5-foot-10, 205-pound Eugene. "I know this (spring scrimmage) isn't a game and we have a lot to improve on as a team. But I feel like we are going to have one of the best backfields and one of the strongest offenses in the country.
"I just wanted to come out here and play football. I love the game of football. I just want to get a chance to play."
And he'll likely get more chances come fall.
"Jamelle Eugene - don't forget that name," Amato said after the game.
SCRIMMAGE BASICS: There were four plays of 60 yards or more in the scrimmage, including a 64-yard touchdown run by Baker, a 60-yard touchdown run by Mike Greco and a 60-yard pass from Greco to receiver Kyle Newell. Safety Benjamin Bradsher of Raleigh also returned a pass interception 70 yards before being run out of bounds.
Junior Marcus Stone was the leading passer on the day, completing 10 of his 18 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown.
"I thought Stone played really well," Amato said. "He is managing the game better. He has really stepped his preparation up. He is doing a good job of that. He is better now than when the season was over.
"Every day, he gets better."
Baker was the team's leading rusher, Newell led the team with four receptions for 90 yards, redshirt freshman defensive end Willie Young had three sacks and Davis and safety J.C. Neal had seven tackles apiece. Each of the three quarterbacks - junior Marcus Stone, sophomore Daniel Evans and Greco - had at least one interception.
On defense, joining Bradsher with interceptions were junior safety Miguel Scott, Neal, senior tackle John Amanchukwu and sophomore linebacker Chris Akpobieyeri. Senior cornerback A.J. Davis did not participate in the scrimmage because of a leg injury.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
SPRING AWARDS:
| OVERALL AWARDS | Offense | Defense |
| King of the Boards | Curtis Crouch, OG | James Martin, LB |
| Most Valuable Non-Scholarship Player | John Kane, FB/Andrew Evans, | WR Wesley Wilson, CB |
| Leadership | Marcus Stone, QB | Pat Lowery, LB |
| Second Effort Award | Jamelle Eugene, HB | Willie Young, DE |
| Top Newcomer | Mike Greco, QB/Jamelle Eugene, HB | Ted Larsen, DT |
| Big Hitter | John Kane, FB | Pat Lowery, LB |
| Most Outstanding Player | Andre Brown, HB | Pat Lowery, LB |
| Most Dominant | Leroy Harris, C | None |
AWARDS BY POSITION
| Position | Most Improved | Most Dependable |
| Quarterback | Mike Greco | Marcus Stone |
| Receiver | John Dunlap | Lamart Barrett |
| Offensive Line | Jon Holt | Leroy Harris |
| Running Back | Jamelle Eugene | Toney Baker |
| Tight End | Octavius Darby | Anthony Hill |
| Linebacker | James Martin | Pat Lowery |
