The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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A Look At This Year's Graduating Group In Red And White Senior Salute the Belk Bowl game, Dec. 27 in Charlotte, with a 27-23 mark, having earned three bowl bids in four years, and playing a part in four out of the five straight wins over North Carolina. Ten out of the 14 players already have graduated. NC State has back-to-back winning re- T cords for the first time since the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Some of the seniors commit- ted to former head coach Chuck Amato, but they are the first group of players to all play under head coach Tom O'Brien. The Wolfpacker takes a looks back at the achievements of this year's senior class. ■ TE George Bryan Summary: Bryan ended up as a three-time All-ACC performer, making the first team as a sophomore and junior and the second team as a senior. He has more career receptions (123 and counting) than any tight end in school history. Bryan also ranks ninth in school his- tory in career receptions overall. The 6-5, 265-pounder from Castle Hayne, N.C., moved into the lineup after a rash of injuries during his redshirt freshman season. He proved to be a valuable weapon in two-tight end sets with Anthony Hill, and then on his own in subsequent years. He enters the Belk Bowl tied for fourth in school history with 17 career touch- downs, which is also tied for second among active FBS tight ends. Bryan was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award for the nation's top tight end in 2010 and on the preseason watch list this season. Career Highlights: Bryan saved one of his best per- formances for last this season. He caught a career-high eight passes for 79 yards and a fourth-quarter, seven- yard touchdown pass in NC State's 56-41 comeback win over Maryland Nov. 26 in his final home game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Bryan also started the scoring in NC State's 37-13 upset victory over Clemson Nov. 19, snagging an 11-yard scoring pass in the second quarter to give the Wolfpack an early 7-3 lead. In the win over Gardner-Webb in 2009, Bryan had a pair of touchdowns for his lone multi-score game, to go along with a career-high 89 yards on six grabs. Most Memorable Moment: Bryan first served no- tice his redshirt freshman year when he caught a game- tying, five-yard touchdown pass against East Carolina in a 30-24 overtime home victory in 2008. Quote: "I just don't like Carolina, but it's nothing 26 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL AND MATT CARTER he backbone of any college football program is the leadership of its se- nior class. The 14 Wolfpack seniors enter against their players. I just don't like Carolina, and I can't explain it. It's just one of those things. It's like you are born not liking something to eat." — Bryan on playing against arch-rival UNC ■ DB Justin Byers Summary: After redshirting, Byers went through and up-and-down career over the next three years before being relegated to scout team duties as a senior. Byers started his first- ever game and eight of 13 contests as an undersized safety in 2008. A year later he started two games, one at safety and another at corner. He earned a starting job at boundary corner in 2010 before giving way to an emerging star in fresh- man David Amerson after four games. Byers never saw the field his senior season. He will graduate Dec. 17. Career Highlights: Coming off the bench and playing corner for the first time, Byers set a career-high with nine tackles at Wake Forest in 2009. Byers also achieved the rarity of intercepting a pass in his first career game, at South Carolina in 2008. Most Memorable Moment: With East Carolina driving in the first half of a game in Raleigh in 2008, Byers intercepted a pass from ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney and then somehow managed to hold onto the football with ECU star receiver Dwayne Harris trying to strip it away. The officials initially ruled that Byers did fumble, but the replay overturned the call. Quote: "He's been through a lot. He's battled some injuries, and he continues to compete. He was thrown in there very early his career and probably out of position to start … Throughout that he has continually fought. That's what you want to see in a kid. You want to see a kid who will not give up even though times are tough." — Defensive backs coach Mike Reed ■ LB Audie Cole Summary: Cole arrived at NC State as a 200-pound, Golden Gloves-winning boxer and high school quarter- back. He leaves as a nearly 240-pound honorable men- tion All-ACC linebacker and the leading tackler for NC State the past three seasons. Cole's total of 318 ca- reer tackles entering the Belk Bowl is 14th all-time at State. He needs 16 hits, which he did on two occa- sions this year, to reach the top 10. Cole will graduate from NC State Dec. 17. Career Highlights: Cole's career-high of 16 tackles came this year at Cincinnati and then against Georgia Tech in back-to-back games. He also had a memorable 19-yard sack on UNC redshirt sophomore quarterback Bryn Renner this year. Cole's best game, though, undoubtedly came as a redshirt junior when he had 12 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and a sack, and picked off the one pass of his career at Central Florida last season. Cole was named the ACC Player of the Week by Rivals.com, and the league honored him as its Defensive Back of the Week after that performance. Most Memorable Moment: That interception at Central Florida was an impressive read. The Knights were trying a trick play. Tailback Jonathan Davis took the handoff and then flicked the ball to receiver Nico Flores for a reverse. While Flores ran wide, Davis was running a wheel route on the other side of the field. Flores turned to throw a long pass to what seemed to be an open Davis, but Cole ran across the field and then made a leaping interception with his fingertips. Quote: "Audie has very good instincts, understands angles and knows defense. He's not overwhelmed by anything out there. He gets everybody lined up and gets everybody going in the right direction." — Head coach Tom O'Brien ■ OL/DL Wayne Crawford Summary: The 6-3, 303-pounder from Philadelphia played multiple positions his senior season. Crawford played defensive tackle his first three years (redshirting one of them) before he got asked to switch to center for his redshirt junior year. The Wolfpack had prior success in moving former defensive tackle Ted Larsen to center, with Larsen even- tually getting drafted in the seventh round. Crawford battled some injuries and didn't play much his redshirt junior year, but found a niche rotating in at left guard this season. He would spell redshirt sophomore Duran Christophe at left guard and back up junior Camden Wentz at center and redshirt junior Zach Allen at right guard. When NC State got decimated with injuries along the defensive line this fall, he made the move back to defensive tackle prior to the Central Michigan game Oct. 8, and became part of the rotation. Crawford then returned back to center/guard for the Maryland game. Career Highlights: Crawford played 27 snaps at of- fensive line against Cincinnati Sept. 22, and a career-high 31 the next week against Georgia Tech Oct. 1 without giving up a sack. He had a tackle for loss while playing defensive tackle in the 28-14 win at Virginia Oct. 22. He had a career-high three tackles in 15 snaps in the 34-0 Tight end George Bryan was a three-time All- ACC performer, including twice making the first-team squad, and his total of 123 catches is the most at his position in Pack history. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN