The Wolfpacker

102 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY TIM PEELER J ust after NC State's final regular-season football game, head coach Dave Doeren was asked about fifth-year senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett's legacy for the Wolfpack. "He played hard, really hard, all the time," Doeren said. "That's what his legacy will be. He's a very competitive guy, and I'm proud to have been around him. I'm looking forward to coaching him one more time." Which he will do when the Wolfpack plays Mississippi State in the Belk Bowl Dec. 30 at Charlotte. Brissett's legacy is no small matter. Since the late 1950s, when Roman Gabriel threw his lot with legendary head coach Earle Edwards, State has established a reputation for developing record-setting, successful signal- callers. Three of them — San Diego's Philip Rivers, Seattle's Russell Wilson and Tampa Bay's Mike Glennon — are in the NFL right now. Rivers and Wilson both recently signed contract extensions that put them among the NFL's 10 highest paid players. Certainly, all three created lasting memo- ries while wearing red and white with their distinctive styles: Rivers, ultimately durable, heady with the funny throwing motion; Wil- son, undersized but hard to catch and harder to suppress; Glennon, tall and rangy with a rifle arm. Rivers continues to be one of the NFL's most productive throwers; Wilson has been to two Super Bowls. Few other schools — even those like South- ern Cal, Miami, Brigham Young and Purdue, which like to call themselves Quarterback U — can claim such success on the professional level. Brissett, who was ranked among the top five senior quarterbacks on Mel Kiper Jr.'s lists for the 2016 NFL Draft on ESPN.com, could soon join Rivers, Wilson and Glennon. If so, and he breaks camp with a team next fall, he would become the sixth former Wolf- pack quarterback to play in the NFL. Gabriel, who spent 16 years with the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, and junior college transfer Erik Kramer, who played 13 years for five NFL teams, are the other two. Don't be fooled: The Wolfpack's NFL quarterbacks aren't necessarily the best play- ers at that position the school has ever pro- duced. Through the years, NC State has a remarkable run of producing quality quarter- backs, beginning with Gabriel, who was the ACC Player of the Year in 1960 and '61. Gabriel's successor, Jim Rossi, was also an All-ACC selection in the 1960s, and two-sport star Jim Donnan helped the Wolfpack win its first ever bowl game in 1967. Option-ori- ented runners like Bruce Shaw, Dave Buckey, Johnny Evans and Scott Smith helped the Wolfpack win ACC titles in the 1970s, when the veer offense ruled college football. Passers like Tim Esposito, Kramer and Shane Montgomery came along in the 1980s to rewrite the record books. Kramer was the 1986 ACC Player of the Year. The 1990s be- longed to two Terrys (Jordan and Harvey) and a Jamie (Barnette). The latter put up big num- bers, thanks in part to throwing every one of All-American wide receiver Torry Holt's 191 career receptions. Barnette still ranks second to Rivers on NC State's career total offense and passing yards lists. When Rivers came along in 2000 and pro- ceed to start an NCAA-record 51 consecutive games, NC State already had a strong tradi- tion under center. There's no doubt that Brissett had big shoes to fill when he transferred to NC State from Florida, a late addition to Doeren's first re- cruiting class. He had to redshirt his first sea- son, when the Pack struggled to find someone to run coordinator Matt Canada's offense. Brissett sat out as the quarterback in wait- ing, knowing that the program's future suc- cess rested on his right shoulder. It was ex- actly the kind of opportunity that Brissett — a high school point guard on a state champion- ship basketball team — was looking for. Brissett guided a turnaround from Doeren's first season and helped establish a program identity with big plays and big numbers. "It's been fun," Brissett said following his final home game in a Wolfpack uniform, the 45-34 loss to North Carolina. "It's everything I could have ever asked for, to be around a great group of guys and coaches. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." He did go out with a bang in his final game at Carter-Finley Stadium, accounting for all four of the Wolfpack's touchdowns. He both ran and threw for two touchdowns. For the second consecutive year, Brissett rolled up triple-digit rushing yardage against the Tar Heels. He gained 167 in last season's 35-7 victory in Chapel Hill and followed up with a team-high 128 yards on 20 carries this year. The only other Wolfpack player to post consecutive 100-yard performances against North Carolina was ACC career rushing leader Ted Brown. The loss hurt, of course, but he's looking forward to getting one more opportunity to make a lasting impression when the Wolfpack faces Mississippi State. "It [stinks] to go out on this note, but we have another game to play, and we have to get ready for that one," Brissett said. Brissett was steady throughout the 2015 season, though his numbers weren't quite as balanced as 2014, when he passed for 2,606 yards and 23 touchdowns and rushed for 529 and three scores. So far this season, Brissett has passed for 2,408 yards and 19 touchdowns while rushing for 303 and four scores. He remained highly protective of the ball: He's thrown just nine interceptions in his 25 starts under center. That's five fewer than the quarterbacks Doeren used in his inaugural season of 2013. Brissett will finish his career at No. 5 all time in touchdown passes thrown. He has 42 in two seasons, with one game to go. He be- came the seventh quarterback in NC State his- tory to surpass 5,000 passing yards. Brissett needs 245 yards in the Belk Bowl to overtake Montgomery (1987-89) for sixth place all time at NCSU. Regardless of where he ends up in the re- cord books, in Doeren's eyes, Brissett will be remembered for his hard work and effort, and for establishing the foundation for what the coach wants his program to be. ■ ■ PACK PERSPECTIVE Jacoby Brissett Continued Wolfpack's Quarterback Tradition Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker. You may contact him at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. The Wolfpacker is a publication of: Coman Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Offices are located at 324 Blackwell St., Ste. 1020, Durham, N.C. 27701. (919) 688-0218. The Wolfpacker (ISSN 0273-8945) is published bimonthly. A subscription is $39.95 for six issues. For advertising or subscription information, call (800) 421-7751 or write The Wolfpacker. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Wolfpacker, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Periodical mail postage paid at Durham, N.C. 27702 and additional offices. First-class postage is $14 extra per year. E-mail: thewolfpacker@comanpub.com • Web site: www.thewolfpacker.com Brissett is the seventh quarterback in school history to throw for at least 5,000 career yards and has thrown the fifth most TD passes. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN

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