The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525890
22 ■ THE WOLFPACKER F BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN or better or worse, Gray- son McCall landed on the national radar due to the combination of his elite quarterback play at Coastal Carolina and his mullet. The signal-caller's flow- ing hair captured the at- tention of college football fans all over the country when he helped the Chan- ticleers beat BYU in 2020. That game, billed by some as "Mullets vs. Mormons" with future top-five pick Zach Wilson on the opposite sideline, launched Mc- Call onto the national stage. And his mullet was along for the ride. But when he arrived at NC State in January via the transfer portal, McCall wasn't sporting the hairstyle for which he was known. The quarterback instead wore a buzz cut, a change that caught his new teammates off guard. "When he walked by, I was like, 'That's not Grayson McCall,'" graduate running back Jordan Waters recalled. "I was like, 'Who is that?'" Waters wasn't alone. Senior defensive end Davin Vann likewise didn't recog- nize McCall without the familiar hair. McCall may have been looking for a fresh start with his short hair, but the mullet has made a return for the 2024 season, back by popular demand. Even so, McCall's presence in Raleigh is a new beginning for the graduate quarterback, who nearly had a career-ending injury a year ago. Letting It Rip Although McCall dominated in the Sun Belt Conference as the league's first three-time player of the year, he did suf- fer a couple of health setbacks. A rotator cuff injury in 2021 didn't prevent him from winning the league's top award that season and the one that followed, but a head injury against Ar- kansas State last fall proved to be dif- ferent. McCall was carted off the field after a high hit, and it put his football career in jeopardy. For a brief moment, he wasn't sure if he would take another snap. "Just dealing with the brain injury, that concussion, it comes into the con- versation," McCall said. "The brain is nothing to play with. Football is a physi- cal sport, and you're going to have that. It definitely came into the conversation that there was a possibility I wasn't go- ing to play." A talk with his father, Jody, reaf- firmed what McCall wanted to do — he was going to keep playing, despite being sidelined for Coastal Carolina's last five regular-season games in 2023. The conversations about ending his football career were not easy — they won't be when it's time to hang up his cleats eventually — but they helped him develop a new mentality. McCall is more appreciative of the sport now, and it shows when he talks. He radiates a unique combination of confidence and respect for the game he has always loved. "It's surreal that at any moment it can be taken away from you," McCall said. "It just completely changed my mindset. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to wake up and walk in the building." McCall recovered from the concussion he sustained on the targeting penalty, which put him in a hospital room before the game had even ended. Does it still affect him? Not really. Will it change his thoughts on playing football? It doesn't seem so, though he will try to limit the number of hits he takes this fall. "If I have that [worried] mindset, it will just hinder me," McCall said. "I think I have to go out there and let it rip and play fast. [I have to] prepare myself and put myself in the best possible position to stay healthy and do everything I can off the field to keep my body in shape. Off the field, my head's clear and I don't have any worries. I'm ready to go." A Fresh Start After McCall's injury-shortened sea- son came to a close at Coastal Carolina, the quarterback knew he needed a change " My confidence has never been higher. I'm in a great spot, and I'm excited. McCall McCall is eager to prove himself at the Power Four level after winning player-of- the-year honors three times in the Sun Belt Conference. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS