North Carolina State University Athletics
TIM PEELER: Gray, Hill Face Media at ACC Football Kickoff
7/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
BY TIM PEELER
GREENSBORO, Ga. The questions came fast and often. Usually they were the same ones, over and over.
In the end, NC State football players Anthony Hill and Jeremy Gray were encouraged. They came away from their four-hour session with national, regional and loca media Sunday afternoon at the annual ACC Football Kickoff feeling that everyone in the league is seriously under-estimating the Wolfpack.
Coming off of last year’s 5-7 record, which included a four-game midseason winning streak, they believe the Pack can be competitive in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.
Hill, of course, spent much of his time discussing his surgically repaired left knee. Five days shy of the one-year anniversary of his surgery, Hill says he’s back to 100 percent and ready to play.
“I am beyond ready, actually.”
Here are some of the thoughts about the upcoming season Gray and Hill shared with the print media on Sunday afternoon.
TIGHT END ANTHONY HILL, fifth-year senior
On sitting out all of last season recovering from a knee injury: “It was definitely hard, but that is all part of the game. I was the first among many to get injured last year. As I was rehabbing, guys just kept coming in to join me. Every two or three weeks another guy came in.”
On his surgically repaired knee: “It feels great. My knee surgery was actually on July 25, just about a year ago. I actually hurt it at the end of May, just out running some routes. It was kind of a freak accident. I ran a corner route and it kind of snapped. I realized how serious it was about a week after. They doctors said it was torn, but I didn’t want to believe it, because there wasn’t any swelling and I could still make my cuts. I got two or three second opinions, before I went ahead and got it repaired. I spent the last year rehabbing it and I am ready to play. I am beyond ready to play.”
On getting back to his form to become one of the ACC’s top tight ends: “I feel like I am going to be better than my junior year. I am going to play my role the best I can. When I am catching balls, I want to be the best tight end in the country. When I am blocking, I want to be the best blocking tight end in the nation.”
On not knowing the starting quarterback going into the season: “That has kind of happened every season I have been here. By now, I am kind of used to not knowing who the quarterback will be. We have so many guys (fifth-year senior Daniel Evans, junior Harrison Beck, sophomore Justin Burke, redshirt freshman Russell Wilson and true freshman Mike Glennon). We have so many good guys who can actually play the position. I am glad that I am not the guy who has to make that choice. Coach is going to have to sit back and think about that. It is going to be a tough decision to make. All of them have looked good in our summer workouts. Guys are going to have to look good and be on top of their game to earn the starting job. Each of them has a shot.”
On the health of senior quarterback Daniel Evans, who had off-season shoulder surgery: “Daniel has been throwing since the beginning of the summer. He seems very, very good. I like that he is experienced. He has been in the program 4 years. He knows this system and he knows all the guys. That is his major advantage that he has on the other guys competing for the spot.”
On the role of the tight end this year: “I believe the tight end is going to play a huge role for our offense. I think we are going to be in a whole lot of double tights. We have me, (senior) Matt Kushner and (redshirt freshman) George Bryant. Between the three of us, we can do whatever is needed by the tight end position. We can all block. We can all catch the ball. I feel like whatever Coach O’Brien needs us to do, we can all three do whatever he asks us to do.”
CORNERBACK JEREMY GRAY, graduate student
On the defensive backfield’s lack of experience: “A lot of people have asked about the defense and us being young. As I have said often, even though our defense is young, we have a lot of players who have been in some big-time games and played in a lot of situations. They might not have started, but I don’t feel like you had to have been a starter to transition into a starting position. As long as you have a little game experience, you should be OK. It’s not a huge transition. Take De’Andre Morgan, for example. He started six or seven games last year as a redshirt freshman, which doesn’t happen very often. I think that experience will allow him to progress and become a great player at cornerback this season.
“J.C. Neal (at strong safety) and I have played a lot, but we also have some talented guys coming in who will see a lot of time. We have the one spot to fill at safety and Javon Walker, when he’s healthy, could fill it. We have some guys who haven’t played much yet in Justin Byers and Jimmaul Simmons at safety. We were all together in the spring, and since then, we have added the junior college player Clem Johnson.
“We are not lacking in talent.”
On the development of the defensive front, with ends Willie Young and Markus Kuhn and tackles Alan-Michael Cash and Antoine Holmes: “I think we will put pressure on the quarterback. That is always going to help the cornerbacks out, whether you are playing man or zone. The less time you give the quarterback to think and throw, the easier it is for the rest of the defense. If they get there, they can create some sacks and fumbles and other turnovers. I think our front will be among the best in the league.”
On replacing the team’s top three linebackers: “I think we will take it in stride. We have Nate Irving, who is young and very talented. He did a good job when he was filling in for Larue Rumph when he was injured. We have Ray Michel and even Thomas Barnes, who got a lot of snaps in a couple of games as a true freshman. I think those guys will continue to improve.
“Overall, I think the defense can be better than last year. It’s our second year under Coach O’Brien. We know what he and the coaching staff want from us. Overall, I think it will be better because of that. You saw a little bit of what we are capable of last year during that four-game winning streak, even though we didn’t finish it off and make a bowl game.”
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
