North Carolina State University Athletics
State Football Begins Practice
8/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Aug. 2, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - The 2011 football season officially got underway for the NC State Wolfpack on Tuesday afternoon, as the team took the field for the first practice of fall camp. Tom O'Brien and staff led the team through a two-plus hour practice at the Dail Practice Complex. The Wolfpack worked out in shorts and shoulder pads in temperatures in the high 90s.
Earlier in the day, O'Brien announced that team members had elected senior tight end George Bryan and senior defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy as team captains. "I like the way we pick our captains, because they are voted on by their teammates. The coaches have nothing to do with it. And, we do it at the end of summer so they have to prove themselves in spring practice, summer workouts and in the strength and conditioning facility. Those guys did that and they deserve to be captains."
All eyes were on red-shirt junior quarterback Mike Glennon, who looked commanding leading the offense. When asked if the offense will change because of his new quarterback's skill set, O'Brien responded "We will do what's best for Mike Glennon and we're still ascertaining what that is. We need to maximize his strengths and minimize his weaknesses."
O'Brien praised the maturity of his 2011 squad, saying that the pains of the past have become a positive in the present. "We had a lot of guys who were forced to play before their time due to injuries or other factors," he said, "but that has become a benefit for us now. You could see today that the players who made the most strides since last year are the red-shirt freshmen. Last year they didn't even know where to line up at this time and now they're out there helping the younger guys."
The Wolfpack won't put on the pads until the weekend, but there is already competition on the field for several positions. "Our organizational chart heading into practice has never been the same on the day of the first game in all my years of coaching. Everybody has an opportunity, although the guys with more experience obviously have a leg up. But I tell our team that nobody owns that jersey. NC State owns the jersey. They have to earn it."
