North Carolina State University Athletics
Varsity Club Weekend (9/29/08)
9/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
BY TIM PEELER
His father, J. Platt Turner, scored the school’s first touchdown against
Rae Turner came to NC State right after the Wolfpack of Beattie Feathers went to the school’s first post-season bowl game, the 1947 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. His biggest claim to fame? Running into a steel goal post kind of a earlier Dovonte Edwards-against-UNC during practice one day at Riddick Stadium.
Turner played for two years and one game, suffering a knee injury in the 1949 season-opener against
While that was a bad thing for Turner, it was probably a good thing for Feathers: since Turner spent a year at Baylor and a year at Mars Hill before arriving in
Turner, now 83, relishes his connection to NC State. That’s why the retired landscape architect had his girlfriend drive him from his home in
Turner was the oldest player on the course, joining me, former Wolfpack Club executive secretary K.M. "Charlie" Bryant and senior associate athletics director David Horning in a foursome in the captain's choice event. The day was filled with anecdotes rich in red.
Turns out, Turner and Bryant had a direct connection: Turner played for Feathers, who was the head football coach at NC State from 1944-51. Bryant used to play tennis with Feathers, who was the head baseball coach at
And that was the whole point of the ever-growing Varsity Club weekend: To gather former Wolfpack athletes, coaches and administrators to share their college experiences. All who have participated in athletics are eligible to join the Varsity Club, which is administered by the Wolfpack Club. Members receive discounts on season football and basketball tickets and can participate in special outings, like the ones this weekend. (For more information about the Varsity Club, click here.)
Some 125 former athletes from U.S. Olympic soccer player Dario Brose, to UNC-Asheville head basketball coach Eddie Biedenbach, to former baseball All-America Michael Rogers participated in the event, along with NC State athletics director Lee Fowler, men’s basketball coach Sidney Lowe, baseball coach Elliott Avent and gymnastics coach Mark Stevenson.
Most of the Wolfpack Club staff was on hand as well, including Varsity Club organizer Chris Combs, himself a former NC State baseball star.
“College athletics is really about the relationships,” said Wolfpack Club executive director Bobby Purcell. “And once you are a Wolfpacker, you are a Wolfpacker for life. A lot of times in athletics, student-athletes are connected directly to their head coach. Before long, that head coach is no longer there and the student-athlete feels disconnected from the program.
“The great thing about this event is that it keeps them all connected to NC State and lets them all know they are appreciated.”
Some 200 former athletes attended the All Sports Reunion Friday evening at Foster’s Restaurant at
“What I like about Varsity Club events is the historical perspective,” Purcell said. “This weekend continues to grow bigger and bigger and bigger. The great thing I enjoy is watching the relationships getting back together. Some of them haven’t seen each other in years, if they haven’t been back recently. I like hearing the old stories. It’s like a big family reunion.
“The main thing we want to do is keep them all NC State and let them know that they are still important to us and that give them a chance to meet.”
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
