The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK Sophomore cornerback Chris Ingram hopes to take the lessons he learned during his rookie campaign and apply them this fall. The 6-0, 186-pounder has played both cornerback and nickel for the Wolfpack, get- ting a start at the latter against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons predictably picked on Ingram in the 30-24 Pack loss, an experience that has helped fuel his offseason. He played in all 13 games last year, and tallied six tack- les in 80 snaps. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 19 player in North Carolina and the No. 46 cor- nerback nationally in the class of 2017. The Mooresville, N.C., native recently took some time with The Wolfpacker to discuss what it will be like to play for NC State this season. Opposing high school teams prob- ably avoided throwing your way in high school, but college programs are always eager to test the new defensive back. What was that experience like? "It was like, 'So what, now what?' If they want to pick on me, I have to step up to the plate. I can't give up or fold. I have to keep fighting. "It was a humbling experience coming out as a true freshman, straight out of high school. It just humbled me coming up to this level, and being able to experience this college level and especially playing in the ACC and NC State, and all this great talent in the ACC. "I just have to keep working. I have to move on to the next play and never panic and remain disciplined and remain coachable. "If someone is going to pick on me, I just have to step up to the plate. I can't give up or fold. I have to keep fighting and can't give up, since I'm the last line of defense." You mentioned being humbled, what are some examples? "Playing in the [Carolina] Panthers' sta- dium, Bank of America Stadium, against South Carolina [in the season opener]. "Then it was when I got my first start against Wake Forest. It didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but it also humbled me at the same time. It made me hungry and want- ing to keep working hard. "I want to push this program in the right direction." What is the difference when you play cornerback versus nickel? "I came in as a corner, which I played the last couple of years in high school. It's also a new position for me, so I'm learning and getting the tools down. "At nickel, I just try to transition my cor- ner skills to nickel, but it's kind of two posi- tions. You have to still learn." What differences did you see this spring with a year under your belt? "It's exciting. I got this one year down and I know what to expect now. I want to hit the ground running. "It was just very humbling, and I want to be coachable and do what I have to do." Are you driven to be the starter against James Madison in the season opener? "I'm just focused on getting better. Ev- erybody wants to start and nobody wants to move down a level." What matchups are fun for you dur- ing practices? "I love going against Steph [Louis]. He is pushing me … I have to focus every single time I go up against Steph. He'll expose something, and then I know I need to work on it. He'll have extra tools or moves, so I just started studying more. "Kelvin [Harmon] is just phenomenal. He makes crazy catches by going last second and making a catch." Did you ever talk to former NC State teammate Nyheim Hines about life as a twin, since his twin sister runs track and field for the Wolfpack? "We have talked about it once before. I've talked to his sister and when we first met, she found out that I had a twin. "She was so excited and couldn't believe it." What is it like to have a twin sister, Kirsten? "We have been together all our lives, but at the same time, I'm pushing for her to do whatever she believes is best for her. I've always told her that we can't be together all our lives. "If you have an opportunity to get better things and to go far, I'm telling her to go ahead. I love having her close by." Was football your first love growing up? "Football was my first love, but basketball was my first organized sport." Who is the best basketball player on the football team? "Of course I'm going to say myself. We will play in the summer and everyone thinks they are the next up-and-coming guy. "We have a couple of good athletes, so I'd like to see us get a five-on-five or three-on- three tournament." — Jacey Zembal PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Getting To Know: Sophomore Cornerback Chris Ingram Just because you see a true freshman running out onto the foot- ball field this fall does not necessarily mean that player has burned his redshirt, thanks to a new rule passed by the NCAA in June. True freshmen can now play up to four games at any point during the season and still be eligible to redshirt. "This change promotes not only fairness for college athletes, but also their health and well being," the NCAA stated. "Redshirt football student-athletes are more likely to remain engaged with the team, and starters will be less likely to feel pressure to play through injuries. "Coaches will appreciate the additional flexibility and ability to give younger players an opportunity to participate in limited competition." The NCAA also approved a change in the transfer rules. Student- athletes no longer need a release from the college they are attend- ing to change schools and are free to choose a new school without restriction, although conference-specific transfer rules may still apply. The new system allows the athlete to inform the current school of their desire to transfer, which would require the university to put that athlete's name in a national transfer database within two days. Once the name is entered, coaches are free to contact them. The rule will go into affect Oct. 15. Prior to the change, athletes had to request permission to communicate with other schools if they wanted to transfer, and colleges were allowed to restrict what schools the player could consider. NCAA Approves New Rule Changes