The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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48 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 adjustment. On the field, he needed to get stronger. He naturally wanted to come to NC State and play right away, but quickly appreciated redshirting. "I loved it because I ate good, I lifted and I didn't have any responsibility but to get good grades and practice hard," Rose said. His first big break came on special teams during his redshirt freshman season in 2012 against No. 3 Florida State. Earlier in the game, fullback Logan Winkles had gotten hurt. Rose took Winkles' place on the punt block unit. Rose remembers sprinting off the line and noticing the two blockers in front of him inexplicably splitting. Rose jumped forward to block the FSU punt, setting up a short field for what would be the game-winning drive in a 17-16 Wolf- pack upset. When you make arguably the key play in a prime-time broadcast on ESPN, you naturally are sought after for postgame interviews. "Nobody knew who I was, it was dif- ferent," Rose said. "I had it happen in high school, but it was a different type deal. They were asking me questions that I didn't know how to answer. How did it feel? 'Well I blocked it, my hand hurt.' "I wasn't even supposed to be in the game." His bigger confidence-boosting moment came a year later when he had six stops, two tackles for loss, one sack and one pass broken up against No. 3 Clemson. Then last season, Rose took another step forward. He notched 46 tackles, a team- best 14 stops behind the line of scrimmage and five sacks. He also had five quarter- back hurries, two forced fumbles, two passes broken up and a fumble recovery in 11 starts. His production was more impressive in ACC and postseason play. In eight confer- ence games and the bowl contest, Rose piled up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks. "I felt like I was moving," Rose admit- ted. "Those last seven or eight games, I felt like nobody could block me." Big Goals Rose ended his graduation speech with a simple message of encouragement: "The temptation for greatness is the best drug in the world, so let's strive to be great and continue living our dreams." To that end, Rose has ambitious goals for the upcoming season. He wants to get 20 tackles for loss and eight sacks. The latter because he would not mind having bragging rights over his good friend Art Norman, whose career best for sacks in a season at NC State was seven. Rose also wants to earn a shot to get drafted. That's why Rose does not make it back to South Carolina much outside of when the Pack plays Clemson. "I have a goal to be in the NFL," Rose said. "I want to be an NFL Draft pick. To do that you have to give up some things to gain something." He also has a lot on his shoulders this season. Rose is the only senior along the defensive line. To achieve his goals, Rose needs his fellow linemen, largely freshmen and sophomores, to grow up in a hurry. "My biggest thing with them is I just want them to mature and realize, nobody told me this when I was a freshman, but while you really only have four seasons, you are only guaranteed one play," Rose said. "To even get to that one play, you have to work hard and push yourself." The young defensive linemen are likely to learn what the graduating student-ath- letes in May realized when hearing Rose in the Vaughn Towers on graduation day: Rose is worth listening to. ■ Rose elevated his performance while the season progressed, recording 11 of his 14 tackles for loss and four of his five sacks in the eight games versus ACC competition plus the bowl victory over Central Florida. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN