North Carolina State University Athletics
Getting to Know: WPC District Reps
4/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wolfpack Club
April 27, 2011
Alex Browning
Region: District 5
Hometown: Charlotte
Current residence: Charlotte
Occupation: Mortgage lender with American Security Mortgage
Family: Wife, Nicole; children, Colin (9), Aidan (6)
Wolfpack Club member since: 1988.
Education: B.A. from NC State in 1989; MBA from Wake Forest.
Q .Was there an event or particular season that made you become an NC State fan?
A. My dad is an NC State grad, for both his bachelor’s degree and his Masters. I grew up as an NC State fan. It was something ingrained in the Browning family. I was born in July, 1966, and I don’t really recall, but I would bet the house that I was in the stands when Carter Stadium opened in October of that year.
Q. What made you join the Wolfpack Club?
A. Just to give back, I guess. Growing up in the household I grew up in, it’s what you did. I really didn’t have a choice. But it’s a choice I happily make for myself now.
Q. How did you become a district leader?
A.I was walking out of a restaurant a couple of weeks ago after having lunch with my dad and Phillip Wood, and my dad, who had been the district rep here for more than 30 years, kind of said “You’re it.” It was something both he and my mom were very much involved in. I graciously accepted the role to take his place.
Q. How strong is the NC State fan base in your district?
A. We have nearly 300 people coming to our event on Wednesday night. That’s a significant increase from the last couple of years. We chose to go to a new venue, the Carmel Country Club, and with the success we had in football and this being new basketball coach Mark Gottfried’s first Caravan stop, it was kind of a perfect storm for us. We expect a great turnout, to hear Coach Gottfried, Coach [Tom] O’Brien, Coach [Kellie] Harper and [athletics director Debbie] Yow.
Q.Do you have a favorite NC State student-athlete?
A. I have a lot of favorite athletes over the years, but the people I think I admire the most are the players who come in, stayed out of trouble, realized the opportunity they had and competed and contributed to the team. They weren’t always the most recognizable names, but I have a lot of respect for the people who made the commitment and took advantage of the opportunity that was afforded to them. As a Wolfpack Club contributor, that’s what it’s all about for me.
Q. What is your favorite memory involving NC State athletics?
A.There will always be something special about the memories I have of Reynolds Coliseum. There is something about walking in there out of the freezing cold, all bundled up, and it’s 110 degrees inside and you have to undress to shorts and a T shirt.I remember when I was a sophomore or junior [1985-85], both Kentucky and Louisville came to town within a week of each other. We beat them both. Nate McMillan was great in both of those games. There was something about the mystique of that place.
Q. Did you participate in organized sports?
A. I played football and baseball at Providence Day School here in Charlotte.
Q . In what other community activities are you involved?
A. I belong to the Rotary Club of Charlotte, the Bloc Business Leaders of Charlotte and I am part of a group of friends here in Charlotte that supports an orphanage in Liberia. We have friends who adopted two children from there.
Wolfpack Club Executive Director Bobby Purcell says: “Alex just took over for his dad, Steve Browning, as the district representative just a few weeks ago. I’ve known his parents since I first started working for the Wolfpack Club, when Charlotte was one of my regions. They are a great Wolfpack family, and I know Alex will do a great job like his father and his mother, Agnes, did for so many years.”
