The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1215393
MARCH 2020 ■ 35 SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW and we'll fix that. That part is fixable." Establishing a quarterback will be a top priority for Beck this spring and beyond. Redshirt sophomore Devin Leary returns as the starter under center. "They are all young players, inexperi- enced and young in age," Beck said. "None of them have played a lot of football right now. I'm just getting to know them person- ally and getting to know what they know and don't know." Beck feels the quarterbacks are detail ori- ented and eager to put what they've learned out there on the field. Spring practice began Feb. 27. "I'm excited to get out there and see them go to town," Beck said. "It's just confidence. We have to play with confidence and we can't worry about making mistakes. We have to have fun out there." Former Pack Linebacker Glad To Be Back Home From 2001-04, Aughtry-Lindsay was a linebacker at NC State, good enough to play a couple of seasons professionally in arena football. He made 266 tackles in a Wolfpack uniform, including a career-best 105 as a junior. Following his playing days, Aughtry- Lindsay always kept close tabs on the pro- gram. He consistently kept in touch with former teammates, made new connections with past players through alumni events, and observed up close as he climbed the coach- ing ladder with stops at nearby schools like Elon (2012-13), Campbell (2015-17) and North Carolina Central (2019). It was not uncommon to see Aughtry- Lindsay working or scouting summer camps at NC State while he was an assistant at those schools. Through that, he realized why coming back to his alma mater would be a dream come true. "I've watched Coach Doeren and see how he's developed his program," he said. "It's always been a place I wanted to be — not just because I played here, but also I believe in the type of person that he is." Thus when Aughtry-Lindsay was of- fered the job in January to coach nickels at NC State, he wasted little time in accepting the position. "It's kind of full circle," he noted. "The thing is when you play here and you leave and you have the ability to come back and get to a place that gave you so much, you just want to pour yourself into it. I have an opportunity to do that." Coaching is a passion for Aughtry-Lindsay. "The reason why I do what I do is because I want to grow and develop young men in this profession," he added. "I want to help un- lock young men's greatness that I see in them that they may not be able to see." Aughtry-Lindsay inherits a position group with just two scholarship players — junior Tyler Baker-Williams and redshirt freshman Jalen Frazier. Baker-Williams started three games and played in all 12 as a sopho- more, registering 39 total stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He also broke up three passes. "The guys that we have in our room right now, I feel like are capable and have the mental capacity and physical abilities to do everything we need them to do," Aughtry- Lindsay said. "It's my job to make sure they are in the right place. We have the ability there." Defensive Line Coach Expects A Smooth Transition Wiles, who had been at Virginia Tech since 1996 and was part of a celebrated trio with head coach Frank Beamer and defen- sive coordinator Bud Foster during much of that time period, feels rejuvenated in many ways by his new job at NC State. Seeing him in red and white and with adidas gear will probably take some getting used to for his former Hokies family of ex- players and coaches. "It's really kind of exciting to be honest with you," Wiles said. "Change is always a little scary in anything you do. The No. 1 thing was my wife was fired up about the new chapter and moving to Raleigh." Coming to NC State and a having chance to live in the Triangle area is a pretty good new chapter for Wiles, who has known Wolfpack defensive coordinator Tony Gib- son for a few decades. He also understands playing North Carolina every year, which Virginia Tech did in the Coastal Division. Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay recorded 266 career tackles from his linebacker spot at NC State from 2001-04, and is excited to return to Raleigh and pour into the next generation of Wolfpack defenders. PHOTO BY JACEY ZEMBAL Charley Wiles made the move to NC State after spending the past 24 seasons working alongside legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster at Virginia Tech. PHOTO BY MATT CARTER