The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 ■ 29 the pro scouts to start considering him a top prospect. White is also not oblivious to the ex- pectations placed on him. He was cho- sen to the preseason All-ACC team. And while ESPN.com may not have included White on its top 100 list, On3 had him slotted at No. 40 in its rankings. On3's Clark Brooks explained that White had first-round NFL Draft potential. The same service has him No. 10 among cor- ners nationally. White said his mother and grand- mother do a good job of keeping him up to date on the accolades, although he himself will occasionally catch a glimpse. "I probably see a couple just scroll- ing on Twitter and see what I'm being tagged on my feed, but I don't really pay too much attention to all the preseason hype," he explained. "What really matters is what happens at the end of the season." If White does live up to the hype, then he will almost certainly face a de- cision when the year is over, the type that even the biggest-named recruits dream about coming out of high school. And for Doeren and NC State, he has a chance to be yet another example, join- ing the likes of first-rounders Bradley Chubb, Ikem Ekwonu and Garrett Brad- bury, of an under-the-radar recruit who developed into a coveted NFL prospect, proving himself sorely undervalued on the recruiting trail. ■ History could be made this fall in NC State's football program. Coach Dave Doeren is six wins away from set- ting a school record for most career victories. How many of Doeren's players during the past 10 years would rank among the best at their respective po- sition groups? During the summer, TheWolfpacker.com ranked the top five players at all spots on the field in NC State football history. At the cornerback position, all the players on the list predated Doeren, but a big season from Aydan White could upend the rankings below. Here are the Pack's all- time top five corners. 1. Dewayne Washington, 1990-93 Washington's stats at NC State were relatively modest: 9 interceptions and 22 pass breakups, with the latter figure tied for 14th in Wolfpack history. However, his talent was obvious, and both opposing college offenses and the NFL spotted that. Washington was a first-round draftee of the Minnesota Vikings in 1994, the first and to date only defensive back in NC State history to be chosen that high. Washington is also the only Pack Pro to be named the NFL Rookie of the Year, the start of a 12-year professional career during which he picked off 31 passes and returned 5 for touchdowns. The team award for most valuable defensive back is now named after Wash - ington. 2. David Amerson, 2010-12 Amerson's legacy at NC State is largely built around his remarkable 2011 sea- son, during which he set an ACC record with 13 interceptions, including 2 pick sixes. After that season, Amerson won the Jack Tatum Award, which is given to the nation's best defensive back. He was also named a first-team All-American by Walter Camp and ESPN. Amerson holds the school record for career interceptions with 18 even though he turned pro after his junior year. The two-time All-ACC choice was picked in the second round by Washington in 2013 and spent six seasons in the NFL, picking off 9 passes and deflecting 65 more while scoring a pair of defensive touchdowns. 3. Lloyd Harrison, 1996-99 In 1998, Harrison set an NC State record with 23 pass breakups. That same season, he picked off a league-high 7 passes, at the time the most among Wolf- packers in the ACC era. One year later, Harrison broke up 15 passes, which still ranks seventh in the school's annals. Harrison's 12 career interceptions are tied for fourth most at NC State, and his 40 passes broken up are third most. He is also the only two-time All-America cornerback in Wolfpack history. Harrison was drafted in the third round by Washington in 2000 and played three seasons in the NFL. 4. Sebastian Savage, 1989-92 Savage was a second-team All-American in 1992 after he had an interception and 11 pass breakups while teaming with Washington to form arguably the greatest cornerback duo in NC State history. A year earlier, Savage picked off 5 passes, one of which he returned 99 yards for a touchdown against North Caro- lina in what remains the fourth longest interception runback in school history. He was twice named first-team All-ACC. After being drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round, Savage played parts of four seasons in the NFL. 5. Woodrow Wilson, 1977-79 Wilson finished his career with 12 interceptions, a total that is tied for fourth most in NC State history. In 1978, he led the ACC with 5 picks and earned the first of back-to-back first-team All-ACC honors. He was a defensive captain on the 1979 squad that claimed NC State's most recent conference title. Wilson was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and played multiple seasons in the Canadian Football League. — Matt Carter Despite forgoing his final season of eligibility, David Amerson set a school record with his 18 career interceptions. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Five Best NC State Cornerbacks