The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472609
JULY/AUGUST 2022 ■ 27 DLearyDelivers.com was launched on June 13. The date (6/13) was appropriate, given that Leary wears No. 13 and set a school record for throwing TD passes worth six points a year ago. He has been touted as a potential first- round NFL Draft pick in 2023. Beck feels that Leary is grounded enough to handle the attention. The veteran coach has worked with other prominent quarterbacks during stints at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas, in- cluding emerging NFL star Joe Burrow at OSU before Burrow transferred to LSU. Leary, in Beck's eyes, has all the tools. "I think Devin has a great arm talent," Beck noted. "He's got a lot of confidence in his ability to throw the football. He takes coaching. One thing with Devin is he's not stubborn. He doesn't feel like he knows it all. "And so, when we see something we need to correct, we address it, and he works at it." Perhaps Leary's most underrated sta- tistic is the turnaround in his win-loss record. He went 0-5 as a starter in 2019, but since 2020 he has won 12 of his 15 starts. With dreams of a special season ahead, Beck is not about to let Leary rest on his accomplishments. "If anything, I'm going to make it harder for him," Beck noted. "People grow in chaos, and they grow when they're uncomfortable. If everything is even, they don't grow, they stay the same. So, he's got to continue to grow in his game." Considering how much Leary has developed and accomplished already, further growth is sure to put his name among the greats in NC State history. ■ 232 South White St. — Downtown Wake Forest WakeForestHardware.com — 919-556-3562 @BWhardware SINCE 1949 NORTH CAROLINA'S PREMIER TRAEGER DEALER *** Free Cover and Two Bags of Pellets with Grill Purchase When You Mention The Wolfpacker *** Last season, Leary broke Philip Rivers' 2003 school record for most touchdown passes in a season, finishing with 35 scoring strikes against only 5 interceptions. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS " I've never had one that's as good as he is in that situa- tion, I just haven't. It's nice to see it. Been around some guys that do it every now and then, but not to the degree that he's been able to do it. To me, that's what sep- arates him from everybody else out there. He's really good at the end of the half, and he has been for multiple years. Pretty special. " Dave Doeren