The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/49933
■ PACK PAST ACC rushing and passing records — are the only ones to make a splash in the race for the Heisman Trophy. Brown tied for sixth in the 1978 balloting, while Rivers was seventh in 2003. So Amerson's achievement ranks as one of the best in school history. Here's a quick look at the other national award winners and what they did to earn national recognition. Jim Ritcher, Outland Trophy (1979) Ritcher came to NC State from Hinckley, Ohio, to play defensive end for Lou Holtz, though the hyperactive head coach was long gone by the time Ritcher arrived. So he spent most of his career playing center for Bo Rein and became the most accom- plished offensive lineman in school history. He was a two-time consensus All-Amer- ican, opening holes for Brown and other running backs in the modified veer offense Rein used. Here's the impressive thing about Ritcher and the Wolfpack offensive line: in 1979, without Brown, the best run- ning back in ACC history, the Wolfpack gained more total yards and more rushing yards than it did with him in 1978. Ritcher, a two-time winner of the Ja- cobs Blocking Trophy as the ACC's best lineman, isn't sure he deserved to win the Outland Trophy, but his teammates and coaches have no doubt that it was appropriate. "I don't ever think about that," Ritcher said recently. "It was great to have won it; whether I deserved it or not, I don't know." He's more proud to have been captain of the Wolfpack's most recent ACC champion team, even if the team did turn down a bowl bid and stay home that season. "I was fortunate to play in a lot of big games and win some awards in my career," Ritcher said. "But none of them mean as much to me as winning that ACC title." Ritcher was a first-round pick of the Buf- falo Bills in 1980. He spent 16 seasons in the NFL, playing in four Super Bowls, two Pro Bowls and earning four All-Pro honors. He's also sent two sons, John and Har- rison, to play football for the Wolfpack. One other thing he gleaned from his time at NC State: a love of flying. His first trip on an airplane was when he traveled from Ohio to Raleigh. He is now an international pilot for American Airlines. Marc Primanti, Lou Groza Award (1996) No kicker in ACC or college football history was more accurate than Primanti during his senior season. 72 ■ THE WOLFPACKER As a senior, Primanti made all 20 field goal attempts and all 24 point after tries en route to earning consensus first-team All-America honors. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS As a junior, the compact kicker — who stood 5-7 and weighed 165 pounds during his career — was nearly perfect in his first season as the replacement for All-Ameri- can Steve Videtich. He made 11 of 13 field goal attempts and 27 of his 28 extra point tries. But he was absolutely perfect as a senior, making all 20 field goal attempts and all 24 point after tries, to earn consensus first- team All-America honors. Not bad for a walk-on kicker who, at one time, wanted only to play college soc- cer. The Coatesville, Pa., native was being recruited by Towson State, but that fell through, so he followed high school team- mate Larry Austin to Raleigh. A video- tape sent to Wolfpack special teams coach Henry Trevathan got Primanti a tryout, and his head-to-head duels for three seasons against Videtich kept him on the squad. He made the most of his opportunity when it came time to succeed Videtich, finishing his two seasons a remarkable 51 of 52 on point after tries and 31 of 33 on field goals. He also hit an ACC-record 27 consecutive field goals. That easily puts him among the best in ACC history for a school that has produced more than its share of top-notch placekick- ers, from Gerald Warren to Nathan Ritter to Todd Auten to Mike Cofer to Videtich. Warren, Videtich and Primanti all achieved All-America recognition. Primanti, who was honored as NC State's "Legend" at this year's ACC Football Championship Game in Charlotte, lives in Raleigh with his wife, Julie, and is co-owner of FS Series, which stages run- ning events across North Carolina. ■ You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.