North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Healed Manning Prepared to Contribute
8/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – Terrell Manning is the first to admit that he wasn't ready to play last year, when he first arrived at NC State from Laurinburg's Scotland County High School as one of the top recruits in the state.
But it's a little surprising to hear Manning, now a red-shirt freshmen linebacker for the Wolfpack, say his inability to play had little to do with the severe knee injury he suffered in his last prep game, in the first round of the state playoffs against East Burke.
It had a lot to do with feeling mentally unprepared to step on the field for ACC competition.
"I was capable of playing - I just wasn't ready mentally," Manning said after practice the other day. "I think I could have played."
As much as the injury-riddled and thin linebacking corps could have used him last year, Manning is glad he had the opportunity to sit back and learn his position. Since arriving at NC State, he has moved from inside linebacker to the outside linebacker, a major adjustment for him.
Manning is obviously athletic, muscular and aggressive, all the qualities he needed to make a remarkable 219 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries during his senior season. A four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com, Manning was considered the state's top defensive recruit.
He was the centerpiece of head coach Tom O'Brien's first full recruiting class, and an exclamation mark on O'Brien's statement about recruiting the best players in the state. Manning was the highest ranked of the eight in-state players ranked in the Top 30 who signed with the Pack that year, including fellow linebacker Dwayne Maddox, offensive lineman R.J. Mattes and running back Brandon Barnes, among others.
But he spent most of last season just watching and learning.
"It was kind of rough," Manning said. "I have to be real about that. There was a lot of stuff being thrown at me, all at one time, in addition to trying to rehab my knee."
Through the spring and into the first few days of preseason practice, Manning has felt more comfortable playing the outside position.
And he and Maddox will likely get lots of playing time from the season's outset, as they fill in for junior linebacker Nate Irving, who is out indefinitely from the injuries he sustained in a July car accident.
Manning is one of several linebackers - Maddox, sophomore Audie Cole, sophomore Sterling Lucas, junior walk-on Asanté Cureton - who will be under the microscope heading into the Sept. 3 season-opener against South Carolina. So far, he's getting good reviews.
Manning has gotten good reviews so far.
"From what I hear, Terrell was a great high school player," said Cole, who has spent the last two seasons learning to play linebacker after an all-star career as a quarterback in Michigan. "Coming off that injury, he was a little bit like me. At first he didn't get it, but now he does.
"He is doing very well right now and hopefully that will carry into the season."
Perhaps the biggest hole left by Irving's absence is the loss of leadership, a key concern for such a young linebacker corps. Senior Ray Michel is known to lead with actions, not words. Manning said he will look to the group for combined leadership.
"Ray is the oldest player on the field, in terms of the linebackers, and he leads by example," Manning said. "When it comes to vocal leaders, we have Sterling Lucas. When it comes to action, we have Audie Cole. We have mixed leadership right now.
"Everybody is pitching in and trying to make up for the loss of Nate."
For the rest of preseason camp, Manning plans on focusing on becoming even better acquainted with his assignments and responsibilities, those things that made him uncomfortable at times last year.
"For me, the most important thing is the mental part of the game," Manning said. "I can't play fast if I don't know everything. At times, I get mixed up; at times, I am an all-star player. I have to be more consistent. If you can't be consistent out here, you might as well go sit on the bench.
"And I had enough of that last year."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
