The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472609
JULY/AUGUST 2022 ■ 47 sen No. 1 in 2006 by the Houston Texans. Instead, Ekwonu became something even rarer: the first Wolfpack player taken in any round by the Panthers in the 26-year history of the home-state franchise. For Ekwonu, it means even more. A graduate of Charlotte's Providence Day School, he will now play professionally at Bank of America Stadium, fewer than 10 miles away from where he played prep football. Only about three dozen North Carolina high school players have ever made the Panthers' roster. On May 11, he signed a four-year deal with the Panthers worth $27.6 million, including a $17.2 million bonus and an option for the fifth year. Those who know the game believe Ekwonu has the tools and demeanor to become the all-important left tackle that the protection-deficient Panthers expect him to be — as long as he understands that the offensive line is a unit, not an individual position. Outland Trophy winner Jim Ritcher, the most successful offensive linemen in NC State history and the first of three Wolfpack offensive linemen ever picked in the first round of the draft, said that was his most difficult lesson after leav- ing NC State and joining the Buffalo Bills in 1980. "When I was at NC State, we had re- ally great offensive linemen," said Ritcher, who was a two-time All-Pro in his 16 NFL seasons with the Bills and the Fal- cons. "We always worked as a group and were pretty successful. I really benefited from how good those guys were. They made me look good. "When I got to the Buffalo Bills, I real- ized that it wasn't how good you were as an individual, it's how well you worked together with the other linemen. That's when I started having a little bit of suc- cess." Ritcher has high regard for Ekwonu's game, not just from the brief meeting he had with him earlier this spring at NC State's Pro Timing Day, but from the feedback he's gotten from his three sons, John, Harrison and Nicholas. All three are professional football scouts. John and Harrison, who both played at NC State, are with the NFL's Houston Texans and Washington Com- manders, respectively, and Nicholas, who had an FCS All-America career at Richmond, is with the Canadian Football League's BC Lions. "We were all impressed with what we saw that day," Ritcher said. Ekwonu's full first name, Ikemefuna, is Nigerian. His parents are from Nigeria, something he paid tribute to in Las Vegas on draft night with his white suit, fea- turing prominent green and yellow trim. Fully translated, the name means "my strength will not be in vain." So far, Ekwonu's strength hasn't been. And now, he has the opportunity to make even more out of it during a professional career. ■ Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu.