The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
106 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2019 BY MATT CARTER W hen Dave Doeren was hired in December 2013, NC State director of athletics Debbie Yow wanted to improve re- cruiting after lackluster re- sults under his predecessor Tom O'Brien. She rather famously blurted out in a team meeting when explaining O'Brien's dis- missal that she wanted a coach that would bring Alabama-type talent to Raleigh. Realistically, that would be hard for a Wolfpack coach to do on the gridiron. But the 2014 class was Doeren's first full effort, and he signed a collection of talent that turned out to be the type Alabama would have accepted. Prior to the group arriving, NC State had two national award winners in foot- ball — Marc Primanti (Lou Groza Colle- giate Placekicker Award in 1996) and Jim Ritcher (Outland Trophy for best interior lineman in 1979). The 2014 class doubled that after Bradley Chubb won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as college football's best defensive player in 2017 and Garrett Brad- bury received the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center a year later. And that is only the top line on the list of accomplishments achieved by the group, which produced eight NFL Draft picks overall, at least three more than any other NCSU class since the turn of the century. Four players made All-America lists, and a fifth was a Freshman All-American. Seven more garnered an all-conference selection. In their five years at NC State, the team won 40 games, including back-to-back nine-win seasons to cap their tenure, the first to do that since head coach Dick Sheri- dan's final two teams in 1991-92. The only time the Pack won more games in a five- year span was when it captured 41 victories from 1990-94. The class was never home for the holi- days, going to five consecutive bowls. The only longer streak at NC State was seven straight from 1988-94. This class will be remembered for being Doeren's first — and one of the best in school history. Bradley Chubb came to NC State as an unranked three-star defensive end, but left as the school career record holder for tackles for loss (60) and sacks (26), the 2017 Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner as college football's best defensive player and the No. 5 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN A BANNER HAUL The 2014 Class Will Be Remembered As One Of The Best In School History