The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1043000
NOVEMBER 2018 ■ 15 TRACKING THE PACK NC State fifth-year senior defensive tackle Eurndraus Bryant has come a long way since being a Rivals.com two-star sleeper recruit. The former North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester High stand- out was the last commit to NC State's class of 2015, with his per- formance at the Carolinas Shrine Bowl — six tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery — giv- ing him a nice recruiting boost. The 6-1, 330-pound Bryant has gone on to play 44 games with five starts through Oct. 26. He has 51 career tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks during that time. Bryant recently took some time with The Wolfpacker to discuss his football career at NC State. NC State started recruiting you after your senior year, and you committed and signed the day before National Signing Day. What was the process like? "It did go fast. I love NC State and it is kind of home. I was born in Fayetteville, N.C., and I was raised in Charleston, S.C. This is a great place to be." How have you changed the most since your freshman year, both on and off the field? "Definitely my talking and speaking. I was a quiet guy, and some people think I still am. When I'm around football, I'm more business-like. I don't want other things to affect that part of my life. I speak up more and have more fun. "On the field, my IQ. I've learned the backfield set and tenden- cies, just stuff like that." How close are you to achieving your degree? "I will get it in December. It will be in sports management, and if football doesn't workout, I want to either coach or go into broad- casting and analyzing sports and talking about it." How inspiring was it for you to watch your four friends on the defensive line go within the first four rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft? "It was hugely inspiring. Just watching those guys. I played with them for three years. If they can do it, it motivates me more. "I know if they can do it, I can do it." What are going to be come of your lasting memories of play- ing at NC State? "Just the brotherhood. I come out of practice every day just laughing. It's college and you don't get that back in terms of foot- ball. "You click with your brothers and when you leave them, you all go your separate ways." What is it like to go through the tunnel before a game? "It's five seconds before you see the crowd because of the smoke. You walk through that smoke and you see everybody just yelling and are like, 'Oh.'" What inspired you to want to do YouTube content items on the "Dre And Braylan" channel? "My cousin is Braylan Edwards. We just wanted to make an impact in the YouTube community, especially because it is a big source with a lot of people watching it. "We just wanted to affect people positively. Those videos will be coming back soon." What are some of those YouTube plans when football season comes to an end, leading up to the NFL Draft? "We are definitely going to get back to it, but right now, we are brainstorming and coming up with ideas. We really want to create some things that we can put our name on." Is there a long-term goal with that online project? "We just want to be successful and reach millions of subscrib- ers. We don't want it to fade away because that can change a lot of people's lives." — Jacey Zembal Six games into the 2018 campaign, Bryant had compiled 51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks during his Wolfpack career. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Getting To Know: Fifth-Year Senior Defensive Tackle Eurndraus Bryant Quick Questions What is the go-to place to eat in North Charleston, S.C.? I love Hibachi. Who would you like to see in concert? Drake. Favorite non-football athlete at NC State? Dennis Smith Jr. Favorite class at NC State? Bowling because it wasn't a class, though it was a class. If you didn't go to NC State, where would you have gone? I didn't really have a second choice. It was all NC State. What is it about your athletic background where you have that explosion off the snap at 330 pounds? I don't know where it came from, but people started noticing it when I was little playing baseball. That was my sport, and my favorite sport growing up. Baseball and fishing are my secret talents. What fish do you like to catch? Bass, I use Topwater frog lures or a worm. What is a good movie you've seen recently? The last movie I saw was "The Purge." I don't go to the movies. I just wait until they come out and find them on the Internet. What is your favorite guilty TV show? "Law & Order: SVU." Favorite school to play on the road? I'd say Clemson because their crowd is pretty loud.