The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
■ pack past "Earle was a first-class gentleman. He a new home for the Wolfpack. School kids He had winning records against North changed a lot of faculty minds." from around the state sent in pennies and Carolina and Wake Forest and nearly so It didn't hurt that Edwards had a degree in nickels to the athletics department and the against Duke, at the tail end of the Blue industrial engineering. He understood the anCarter brothers from Greensboro, N.C., led Devils' run as a college football powerhouse. alytical minds of the faculty that surrounded the fund-raising drive to build the stadium Edwards was much more than a football him. He was a popular, hard-working figure that bears their name. coach. He required his players to take etiwho liked to play golf and enjoyed singing. Stewart's successor Warren Carroll quette classes, never cursed in front of them He was also an infinite worrier whose insomworked tirelessly to raise money from Wolfand preached academics to all of his players. nia kept him up late into the night. Clemson pack supporters, but it was Edwards' success More than 90 percent of his recruits graducoach Frank Howard called him "Midnight." on the field that made the new home a reality. ated from NC State. Simply put, he won over the hearts of Situated near the NC State Fairgrounds, "The coaching staff always felt when we Wolfpack fans with his calm demeanor and Carter Stadium opened in 1966 at a cost of recruited a boy that it was a reciprocal agreehis unprecedented success. In 1957, with a $3.7 million, financed by the Wolfpack Club ment," Edwards once said. "He should try to team heavily loaded with seniors from his and home gate receipts. The 35-year bond be the best football player he could and take first recruiting class, Edwards' Pack won its was paid off in only 12 seasons. advantage of a degree. And it was our obligafirst ACC championship when Penntion to help him do both." sylvania native Dick Christy singleEdwards stepped down abruptly in handedly outscored South Carolina the summer of 1971, just before the 29-26 in the final game of the season start of his 18th season as head coach, to secure the title. On that same day, to take another job within the univerWilmington-born quarterback Roman sity. Longtime friend and assistant Gabriel committed to play for EdMichaels took over the program on wards' program. an interim basis. The next season, Lou A two-time All-American on the Holtz was hired as head coach, and field and a three-time All-American Michaels returned to being defensive in the classroom, Gabriel didn't have coordinator. great team success during his college Edwards enjoyed a long retirement career, but the future first-round pick after he left NC State, remaining in and NFL Player of the Year ushered Raleigh to play golf and watch Wolfin the most successful decade in the pack football. He was a frequent visihistory of Wolfpack football. tor to football practice and a constant Edwards and his staff came to own counselor to those who succeeded the state of North Carolina, bringing him. He was inducted into the North in homegrown talent such as defensive Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1974 end Don Montgomery of Albemarle, and was awarded the Watauga Medal kicker Gerald Warren of Elizabeth in 1991 for his contributions to the City, defensive tackle Dennis Byrd of university. The Earle Edwards Award Lincolnton, offensive lineman Steve Edwards guided the Wolfpack to outright league titles in 1957, '64 was established and is given annually Warren of Lincolnton, defensive back and '68, shared titles in 1963 and '65, and was named ACC Coach to the Wolfpack player with the highFreddie Combs of Hertford and run- of the Year four times. est academic average. photo courtesy nc state media relations ning back Willie Burden of Raleigh. He died at his home in Raleigh on From 1960-69, the Wolfpack finished first Edwards' greatest success came just a year Feb. 25, 1997, at the age of 88. His ashes or second in the ACC standings eight times. after the gates opened, when the Wolfpack were sprinkled over the field at Carter-Finley Edwards guided the team to outright became the ACC's first team to win nine Stadium. league titles in 1957, '64 and '68 and shared games in a season. Early in the year, the In 1999, and nearly 150 of his former titles in 1963 and '65. He was named ACC Pack's soon-to-be-famous "White Shoes Deplayers contributed more than $100,000 to Coach of the Year four times. fense" led the team to a 16-6 win over No. 2 endow a scholarship in Edwards' name. And he did it all while playing two-thirds Houston, the highest-ranked team State had In 2000, former Edwards linebacker of his games on the road. Edwards knew he ever beaten. The Pack rose to No. 3 in the Chuck Amato was named head coach of the had to avoid playing at Riddick because fans national polls, which is still the highest rankWolfpack. Nothing in his seven-year tenure didn't particularly want to attend games at ing in school history. made him happier than to see the first sigthe ACC's most meager facility, and ticket The team's hopes for a national title ended nificant renovation to Carter-Finley Stadium sales couldn't generate as much income as with a last-second loss at Penn State. The since the gates first opened. the guarantees other schools were willing to ACC title slipped through the Pack's paws Among the more than $100 million in impay the Wolfpack for a road game. His team the next week with a loss at Clemson. But provements — including the Murphy Center, traveled from one end of the country to the Edwards led the Pack to an upset of SouthVaughan Towers and the enclosure of both other to play on the road. eastern Conference power Georgia in the end zones — is a memorial arch on Dail The 1957 ACC champions played their Liberty Bowl to record the first postseason Plaza at the north entrance of the stadium first home game three days before Hallowwin in NC State history. that bears Edwards' name, a permanent reeen. From the end of the 1960 season to the Edwards' legacy goes far beyond the reminder of the man who stayed awake for so beginning of the 1961 season, the Wolfpack cord of 77-88-8 he established during his 17 many sleepless nights to save football at NC played 10 consecutive road games. years at the Wolfpack helm, which remains State. ■ Those games paid the bills and helped Edthe longest tenure of any NC State football wards build momentum for his ultimate goal: coach. You may contact Tim Peeler at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. 154 ■ the wolfpacker 152,154.Pack Past.indd 154 7/1/13 10:38 AM