North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Davis, Harris Talk Up NC State Football
7/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 23, 2006
BY TIM PEELER
A.J. Davis Interview
Leroy Harris Interview
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - It's not exactly within view of Jacksonville's Alltel Stadium, but the route to the Marriott Resort and Spa does go right by the site of the ACC Football Championship game.
And for NC State seniors football players A.J. Davis and Leroy Harris, coming here for the annual ACC Football Kickoff gives them the opportunity to see the Wolfpack's goal for the coming season: a chance to play for the ACC title.
Davis and Harris were NC State's representatives at the three-day event, in which players and coaches from around the ACC gather in a resort location to talk about the coming season. Sunday, the two players faced print and electronic media for nearly three hours, answering serious and silly questions from the 350 or so reporters who gathered to talk football. Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato will face similar questioning on Monday afternoon.
Harris, representing the Wolfpack offense, primarily answered questions about his junior quarterback Marcus Stone, who will return as the starter after leading the Wolfpack to five wins in his six starts last year. NC State finished 7-5 on the season, including a 14-0 victory over South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.
"His stats may not look like the greatest, but he came in during a difficult time last year and he did really well," Harris said. "Before he was the starter, we were mostly a passing team. When Marcus took over, we were more of a running team, and we had to go through a lot of transition.
"He did a good job for us during that time."
 Senior center Leroy Harris talks about the Wolfpack offense.  |
|
Davis was primarily asked about how the Wolfpack defense, which has finished ranked in the nation's top 10 in total defense the last two years, will fare with the loss of three NFL first-round picks - No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo - plus linebacker Stephen Tulloch.
"The expectations shouldn't go down, even if we did lose those guys," Davis said. "We expect to be the best. We are going to play like we are the best."
Davis says he expects the rest of the ACC to be surprised by a handful of players on the Wolfpack defense, especially defensive tackles DeMario Pressley, Tank Tyler and Martrel Brown. They all gained much experience after McCargo suffered a broken foot and had to sit out the final five games of the regular season.
"I think our entire defensive line will be a surprise," Davis said. "They are going to show up and play well. They might not have the name right now that Mario and Manny had after last year.
"But there was a time that Mario, Manny and Johnny Mac didn't have that name either. We are really confident in their abilities."
Davis also likes the possibilities with redshirt freshman Willie Young, Martrel Brown, Littleton Wright and several others at the defensive end positions vacated by Williams and Wright.
"They are in a good situation," Davis said. "They know all eyes are on them, and they are ready to step up."
After the coaches meet with the media, the ACC will release its preseason media poll and the ACC Preseason Player of the Year.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
