The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
Class Of 2008 Summary Players In Class — 25 (Tobais Palmer signed in 2008 but resigned and counted with the 2010 class) NamePos. Starts NamePos. Starts Colby JacksonLB 0 Zach Allen OG 30 Signed as a fullback, he suffered a knee injury during his senior season in high school, and Was a stalwart three-year starter at left guard, but his senior season was cut short with an the setback was a precursor to future problems that would cut his career short. Jackson, who ankle injury. He was NCSU's best run blocker before getting hurt and signed a free agent moved to linebacker, was most famous for blocking two punts during the 2010 season. He contract with the Seattle Seahawks. took a medical hardship in 2011. Brandon Barnes RB 0 Ahmad Jaradat OL 0 Barnes was supposed to be one of the cornerstones of the recruiting class, but he ended his Jaradat was a top Canadian offensive line prospect who enrolled early, but after just one career with just 214 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. semester at NCSU he decided to return home. He played for Western University in Ontario. William Beasley LB 0 Clem Johnson S 13 He was dismissed from team, never playing a down for NC State, and then was killed in a Johnson was a JUCO transfer whose emergence in 2008 was credited with helping solidify car accident in March 2012. the secondary and leading the Pack's late-season five-game winning streak. Johnson made Leroy Burgess DT 15 four picks and 116 tackles in two seasons. Junior college transfer helped provide depth in 2008 and then developed into a full-time Sam Jones OL 0 starter in 2009, recording a pair of sacks and 16 quarterback hurries that year. He has The physically imposing Jones played sparingly before moving for family reasons (Jones would played professionally in the Arena Football League the last three years. marry and have a child while at NCSU) to Arizona after the 2010 season. Jones enrolled at Mario Carter TE 15 Pima Community College and was all-conference in 2011. A combination of knee injuries and playing behind three-time All-ACC tight end George Bryan Kyle Linney DT 0 limited Carter to a reserve role until 2012, when he started all 13 games and made 34 Linney was dismissed from the team during the 2009 season, returned home to Taylorsville, receptions for 367 yards and two scores. N.C., and never played football again. Akeem Cunningham CB 0 Thomas Locust DT 0 Cunningham was a late signee in the 2008 class, and he did not last long at NC State. A year Locust was a JUCO signee, but he never enrolled at NC State. later he enrolled at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, N.Y. LB 15 Sterling Lucas Marty Everett DT 0 Lucas developed into a full-time starter and team captain as a fifth-year senior in 2012. Everett never enrolled at NC State. He concluded his Pack career with 173 tackles, including nine for loss and three sacks. He Mike Glennon QB 26 has stayed at NCSU to work as a graduate assistant on the strength and conditioning staff. Arguably the most touted quarterback ever to sign with NC State, he finished his career with Dwayne Maddox LB 21 7,411 passing yards and 63 touchdowns. Glennon ended his career in the top five of almost Maddox played immediately as a true freshman and started sporadically throughout his every major passing statistic at NC State.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the third career, especially when there were injuries to frontline players. Although not spectacular, round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Maddox was a steady contributor and made 139 career tackles. Roy Mangram S/LB 0 Mangram's hard-hitting high school highlight package had fans excited about his potential, but for academic reasons he had to go to Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Ga. He never made it to NCSU and ended up at West Texas A&M. Terrell Manning LB 30 Considered by some to be the top in-state prospect in the 2008 class, Manning finished his three-year career with 206 tackles, including 27 for loss and 10.5 sacks. He also notched five interceptions, five fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles. Manning went pro after his redshirt junior season, during which he was named second-team All-ACC, and he was picked in the fifth round of the 2012 draft by the Green Bay Packers. R.J. Mattes OL 43 Not only did Mattes start all four years he played, he started at four different positions.The only position Mattes did not start at was center. After being named second-team All-ACC in 2012, he signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots. Shea McKeen DE 20 Yet another JUCO import signed to help solidify the defensive line, McKeen started both seasons he was in Raleigh, and recorded 65 total tackles, including 3.5 sacks and eight hits for loss. T.J. Graham piled up 3,153 kickoff return yards in his Wolfpack career, the most ever for an ACC player. photo by ken martin T.J. Graham WR 22 He broke out as a receiver as a senior when he made 46 catches for 757 yards and seven touchdowns, but Graham, who also ran track at NCSU, will be more remembered for setting the ACC record for career kickoff return yards and running four career kicks back for scores. The Bills drafted Graham in the third round in 2012. CB 0 Gary Grant Played sparingly, and when he did it was primarily on special teams, before being dismissed from the team during his redshirt junior season. Andrew Wallace OL 22 An ill-timed ACL tear during a practice leading up to the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl effectively cost Wallace the 2011 season. He returned to start eight games last season. Like Mattes,Wallace was a versatile lineman, earning starts at both guard and tackle. C.J. Wilson CB 30 Wilson picked off four career passes, returning three of them for touchdowns. Following his senior season in 2013,Wilson signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears. Earl Wolff S 43 Wolff ended his career a four-year starter and NCSU's all-time leading tackler among defensive backs with 400 hits. After being named first-team All-ACC in 2013,Wolff was picked in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. 118 ■ the wolfpacker 112-114,116,118.Class of 2008.indd 118 7/1/13 10:11 AM