North Carolina State University Athletics
Program Spotlight: Koyal George
9/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Patrick Norris, NC State Media Relations
Have you heard of the tiny eastern North Carolina city of Havelock? Its doubtful that many in this state, let alone in the country, know of the city that is known most famously as the home of the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
NC State senior cornerback Koyal George, a Havelock native, is hoping to put his name on the map, as well, and to bring his hometown along for the ride.
"It's probably one of the smallest towns around," George said of the city of just over 20,000 residents, just 10,000 less than the undergraduate student population of NC State University.
George had to contend with hoping to achieve his dreams when so many around him weren't as fortunate.
"There were a lot of athletes where I came from that didn't make it out and go to college," he said. "There were different situations where things happened, but for me, having my mom and my family to support me, and my religious background, helped me to get to NC State."
George gives most of the credit of his success to his mom, Cathie Bell, and is also dedicating nearly everything he achieves to her.
"She works a lot so she doesn't make many of my games, but she will always call and give me her blessing and make sure that somehow she knows what is happening with me and the team," George said. "My mom has always been there and she was one of those people growing up that was a single mother raising three of us, and I'm doing the majority of everything for her and I won't stop until I reach my goal."
One of the many things his mom instilled in him was to have a strong relationship with God.
"My mom grew up with a strong religious background and we also grew up in the church and we always had to go to church," George recalled. "Just having that mindset that we would do the right thing and she always preached to us to put God first and everything else would happen.
"We lived by that motto and I think thats why everything fell in place the way it has and continues to fall in place."
George continues to use God and prayer to get his mind where it needs to be before a game. His pre-game ritual includes prayer and listening to gospel music.
"Prayer is very important to me because if I have faith then everything else with follow," George said. "If you have God then fear isn't present. I always get nervous before a game, but then when I start praying and get in that mode, then you start listening to your church songs, I transform and get my mindset ready and get mentally prepared for the game."
These days George is the starter at cornerback at NC State, but his journey to this place isn't your stereotypical story of a blue chip athlete from a big school making it to that next level. His story is built more on belief and sticking with a dream.
"I had some smaller schools recruiting me but didn't have any big schools really looking at me," George said. "I felt like I could at least try and walk on and earn a scholarship somewhere. I think I could have played right away if went to a smaller school. I just felt like I needed the opportunity to show that I was a Division 1 athlete."
Havelock High School was small enough that George knew the only way to get noticed by big college recruiters was for the Rams to make it to the playoffs and make a deep run. Unfortunately, that never happened.
"We lost in the first round of the playoffs and the opportunities were limited," George said. "I felt I had to make my own opportunity to walk on at NC State."
George has made the best of his original walk-on opportunity at NC State, even though it would be hard to find anyone outside of his friends and family that knew who he was initially. That all changed back in 2007 after playing in just 10 snaps in his first two years on campus.
He had what he thought was his first big moment early in the 2007 season when he caught his first career pass for a touchdown.
"It was the first play I came into the game and I wasn't even supposed to get the ball, I was a decoy," George said. "I was so wide open that Harrison Beck just threw it back there to me. When I turned around to look for the ball, I stepped out of bounds before the catch. I turned around and everyone was cheering but then everyone stopped and they said I stepped out of bounds.
"I was so upset. There was no way I stepped out of bounds but then when we watched the game film I saw that I did. Right when it happened, coach O'Brien came up to me and said, 'Did you step out of bounds?' I was like, 'Yes, sir.' I wasn't about to say no, even though I wasn't sure if I did."
George was finally able to celebrate later that same season, as he made his first career catch, a 25-yard touchdown, in a 29-24 win over No. 18 Virginia.
"It was a big game, Virginia was ranked, and now I want to feel that excitement and score again," George said. "That was one of the best feelings I've ever had. Now its harder, because now I'm not catching passes, but defending them."
George knew that his days of catching touchdowns might be over, after being approached by O'Brien and his staff.
"Earlier that same year, coach O'Brien approached me about working on the defensive side of the ball during our bye week so they could see if I could adjust," George said. "After that week, the coaches said they might try me back on defense in the spring, and they did because they thought I could make a good transition to cornerback and help out with a lack of depth at that position."
The coaches indeed made the move in the spring of 2008, and George earned a scholarship not long after that. It was one of the proudest moments of his life.
"I can't do anything but praise God after I earned a scholarship," George said. "It was like a huge burden being lifted off of me. My mom was so excited for me that she just started shouting. Not only was I excited for myself that I earned it with my play, but I was happy for my family, too, because I knew it was expensive to go to school. Just having that scholarship meant a lot. I was grateful to coach O'Brien and the NC State athletics department for providing that to me and my family."
With George now starting at cornerback for the Wolfpack, he has worked his way from a small town walk on to a scholarship starter at a major Division 1 program.
"This opportunity is different for me than it was in the previous years [at NC State]," George said. "I don't think they expected much from me except for some depth, but now that I'm the starter, its a whole different mindset now. The coaches know we aren't deep at corner so I need to step into that role. DeAndre Morgan and myself were the only two coming into this season at cornerback with any experience.
"Last year I was a follower, now I need to be a leader."
"I'm just thankful to have the chance to be able to play significantly this year, and I'm really looking forward to that," George said.
NC State fans know the name Koyal George now, and they might even start to know the city of Havelock if George has the kind of season he hopes for.
Have you heard of the tiny eastern North Carolina city of Havelock? Its doubtful that many in this state, let alone in the country, know of the city that is known most famously as the home of the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
NC State senior cornerback Koyal George, a Havelock native, is hoping to put his name on the map, as well, and to bring his hometown along for the ride.
"It's probably one of the smallest towns around," George said of the city of just over 20,000 residents, just 10,000 less than the undergraduate student population of NC State University.
George had to contend with hoping to achieve his dreams when so many around him weren't as fortunate.
"There were a lot of athletes where I came from that didn't make it out and go to college," he said. "There were different situations where things happened, but for me, having my mom and my family to support me, and my religious background, helped me to get to NC State."
George gives most of the credit of his success to his mom, Cathie Bell, and is also dedicating nearly everything he achieves to her.
"She works a lot so she doesn't make many of my games, but she will always call and give me her blessing and make sure that somehow she knows what is happening with me and the team," George said. "My mom has always been there and she was one of those people growing up that was a single mother raising three of us, and I'm doing the majority of everything for her and I won't stop until I reach my goal."
One of the many things his mom instilled in him was to have a strong relationship with God.
"My mom grew up with a strong religious background and we also grew up in the church and we always had to go to church," George recalled. "Just having that mindset that we would do the right thing and she always preached to us to put God first and everything else would happen.
"We lived by that motto and I think thats why everything fell in place the way it has and continues to fall in place."
George continues to use God and prayer to get his mind where it needs to be before a game. His pre-game ritual includes prayer and listening to gospel music.
"Prayer is very important to me because if I have faith then everything else with follow," George said. "If you have God then fear isn't present. I always get nervous before a game, but then when I start praying and get in that mode, then you start listening to your church songs, I transform and get my mindset ready and get mentally prepared for the game."
These days George is the starter at cornerback at NC State, but his journey to this place isn't your stereotypical story of a blue chip athlete from a big school making it to that next level. His story is built more on belief and sticking with a dream.
"I had some smaller schools recruiting me but didn't have any big schools really looking at me," George said. "I felt like I could at least try and walk on and earn a scholarship somewhere. I think I could have played right away if went to a smaller school. I just felt like I needed the opportunity to show that I was a Division 1 athlete."
Havelock High School was small enough that George knew the only way to get noticed by big college recruiters was for the Rams to make it to the playoffs and make a deep run. Unfortunately, that never happened.
"We lost in the first round of the playoffs and the opportunities were limited," George said. "I felt I had to make my own opportunity to walk on at NC State."
George has made the best of his original walk-on opportunity at NC State, even though it would be hard to find anyone outside of his friends and family that knew who he was initially. That all changed back in 2007 after playing in just 10 snaps in his first two years on campus.
He had what he thought was his first big moment early in the 2007 season when he caught his first career pass for a touchdown.
"It was the first play I came into the game and I wasn't even supposed to get the ball, I was a decoy," George said. "I was so wide open that Harrison Beck just threw it back there to me. When I turned around to look for the ball, I stepped out of bounds before the catch. I turned around and everyone was cheering but then everyone stopped and they said I stepped out of bounds.
"I was so upset. There was no way I stepped out of bounds but then when we watched the game film I saw that I did. Right when it happened, coach O'Brien came up to me and said, 'Did you step out of bounds?' I was like, 'Yes, sir.' I wasn't about to say no, even though I wasn't sure if I did."
George was finally able to celebrate later that same season, as he made his first career catch, a 25-yard touchdown, in a 29-24 win over No. 18 Virginia.
"It was a big game, Virginia was ranked, and now I want to feel that excitement and score again," George said. "That was one of the best feelings I've ever had. Now its harder, because now I'm not catching passes, but defending them."
George knew that his days of catching touchdowns might be over, after being approached by O'Brien and his staff.
"Earlier that same year, coach O'Brien approached me about working on the defensive side of the ball during our bye week so they could see if I could adjust," George said. "After that week, the coaches said they might try me back on defense in the spring, and they did because they thought I could make a good transition to cornerback and help out with a lack of depth at that position."
The coaches indeed made the move in the spring of 2008, and George earned a scholarship not long after that. It was one of the proudest moments of his life.
"I can't do anything but praise God after I earned a scholarship," George said. "It was like a huge burden being lifted off of me. My mom was so excited for me that she just started shouting. Not only was I excited for myself that I earned it with my play, but I was happy for my family, too, because I knew it was expensive to go to school. Just having that scholarship meant a lot. I was grateful to coach O'Brien and the NC State athletics department for providing that to me and my family."
With George now starting at cornerback for the Wolfpack, he has worked his way from a small town walk on to a scholarship starter at a major Division 1 program.
"This opportunity is different for me than it was in the previous years [at NC State]," George said. "I don't think they expected much from me except for some depth, but now that I'm the starter, its a whole different mindset now. The coaches know we aren't deep at corner so I need to step into that role. DeAndre Morgan and myself were the only two coming into this season at cornerback with any experience.
"Last year I was a follower, now I need to be a leader."
"I'm just thankful to have the chance to be able to play significantly this year, and I'm really looking forward to that," George said.
NC State fans know the name Koyal George now, and they might even start to know the city of Havelock if George has the kind of season he hopes for.
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