The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/644580
84 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS Colts: Played in eight games with two starts for the 8-8 Colts before suffering a season-ending broken wrist in week 13 … Finished with 14 tackles, one sack, a forced fumble and two passes broken up. • Dontae Johnson (2010-13), CB, San Fran- cisco 49ers: Played in every contest with three starts for the 5-11 49ers … Totaled 32 tackles, five passes defended and one blocked field goal. • Markus Kuhn (2007-11), DT, New York Gi- ants: Appeared in 10 games with nine starts for the 6-10 Giants before a knee injury prematurely ended his season … Logged 20 tackles, 0.5 sack and a fumble recovery. • Ted Larsen (2006-09), OL, Arizona Cardinals: Started the final seven games at guard for the 13-3 Cardinals, who finished the regular season with the NFL's No. 1 offense (408.3 yards per game) … Played in and started 10 contests … Also started both of Arizona's playoff games. • Manny Lawson (2002-05), DE, Buffalo Bills: Made 14 starts for the 8-8 Bills … Notched 47 stops, one sack, five passes broken up and an interception. • T.Y. McGill (2011-14), DT, Indianapolis Colts: The undrafted rookie played in 12 games for the 8-8 Colts … Compiled 11 tackles, three sacks and one pass deflection. • Philip Rivers (2000-03), QB, San Diego Chargers: In 16 starts for the 4-12 Chargers, com - pleted 437 of 661 passes (66.1 percent) for 4,792 yards with 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions … Posted a passer rating of 93.8, which ranked 12th in the league … Ranked second in the NFL in passing yards, seventh in completion percentage and tied for 12th in touchdown throws … Has eclipsed 3,000 passing yards in 10 straight seasons, which is tied for the fourth longest streak in NFL history, and has also surpassed 4,000 passing yards three consecutive years … Became just the fourth signal-caller in league annals to surpass 4,000 passing yards in seven different seasons. • J.R. Sweezy (2009-11), OG, Seattle Se - ahawks: Started 15 games, helping 10-6 Seattle finish with the NFL's No. 3 rushing offense (141.8 yards per game) despite losing their top two running backs to in- jury for extended periods of time (star Marshawn Lynch played in only seven games) … Also started both playoff games for the Seahawks. • Stephen Tulloch (2003-05), LB, Detroit Lions: The middle linebacker started every game for the 7-9 Lions … Posted 107 tackles, two fumble recoveries, one sack, a pass deflection and a forced fumble … Tied for 25th in the NFL with 74 solo tackles and ranked 32nd in total stops … Posted on his Instagram account that he has been told he will be released by the Lions after the start of the new league year in March. • Mario Williams (2003-05), DE, Buffalo Bills: Started 15 games for the 8-8 Bills and recorded 19 tackles with five sacks … It marked his lowest sack total since 2011, when he played in just five games before being injured and notched the same number of quarterback takedowns … According to the Associated Press, he will be released before the start of next season. • Russell Wilson (2008-10), QB, Seattle Se - ahawks: In 16 starts for the 10-6 Seahawks, Wilson went 329-of-483 passing (68.1 percent) for 4,024 yards with 34 touchdowns and eight interceptions … Logged a passer rating of 110.1, which is the 15th-best mark in league history … Notched career highs in comple- tion percentage, passing yards, passing attempts and quarterback rating while helping the Seahawks rank as the NFL's No. 4 offense (378.6 yards per game) … Set franchise records for passing touchdowns and yards … Led the NFL in quarterback rating, and ranked third in completion percentage, sixth in touchdown passes and 12th in passing yards … Also rushed for 553 yards and a touchdown on 103 attempts (5.4-yard average), which ranked third among quarterbacks and 38th overall … Became the first quarterback in NFL history throw for at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns while also rushing for 500 or more yards … In two postseason contests, completed 44 of 74 attempts (59.5 percent) for 508 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions for a passer rating of 81.4 … Also rushed eight times for 53 yards (6.6-yard average) … Was the only one of the six quarterbacks voted to the Pro Bowl to take part in the game … Selected with the No. 1 pick in the all-star event's draft and led his team to three touchdowns on its first four drives … Was named Offensive MVP in his squad's 49-27 victory, finishing 8-of-12 passing for 164 yards with three scores. • Earl Wolff (2009-12), S, Jacksonville Jag - uars: Spent the final two weeks of the season on the 5-11 Jaguars' practice squad. • Willie Young (2006-09), LB, Chicago Bears: In 15 games played and eight starts for the 6-10 Bears, he totaled 30 tackles, 6.5 sacks, two passes defended and an interception, which he returned 39 yards. ■ ■ BY THE NUMBERS 47 Was where ESPN.com ranked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson among the top 50 players in Super Bowl history. After noting that he played in two championship games before turning 27, the website stated: "Wil- son's 117.39 passer rating in the Super Bowl ranks third all time. He could make a huge move up this list by the time his career is over." 62.7 Rating for opposing quarterbacks against Oakland Raiders cornerback David Amerson in 2015, according to ProFootballFocus.com. The website said that he was targeted 104 times (sixth-most among NFL corners) and allowed 58 completions and one touchdown. ProFootballFocus.com named him the NFL's most improved player with an overall grade of 83.4 (out of 100), which ranked 15th out of all professional corners. Quarterbacks had a 140.2 rating when targeting Amerson, then with the Washington Redskins, in 2014. 86.8 Career field goal percentage for Seattle Seahawks kicker Steven Hauschka, which ranks fourth on the NFL's all- time list (minimum 100 attempts), according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. T.J. Warren Out For Rest Of Year The Phoenix Suns' season has not gone well this year. Third-year head coach Jeff Hornacek was dismissed Jan. 31 when the team fell to 14-35 after dropping 19 of its last 21 games. Things got even worse for the fran- chise after the firing — 2014 first- round pick T.J. Warren suffered a sea- son-ending broken foot in a 104-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors Feb. 2. At the time the former Wolfpacker went down, he ranked third on the team in scoring, behind guards Eric Bledsoe and Bran- don Knight, who were both sidelined with injuries at that point. Warren finished his second profes- sional season with 47 games played and four starts and with averages of 22.8 minutes, 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 blocks per contest. He did get to briefly reunite with for- mer NCSU teammate Lorenzo Brown, who appeared in eight contests for the Suns from Jan. 8-27 and averaged 7.6 minutes, 2.5 points and 1.4 assists per game. When the point guard's second 10-day contract expired in late January, the team declined to re-sign him. The Pack's only other NBA player, center/forward J.J. Hickson, was waived by the Denver Nuggets Feb. 19. In 27 appearances and 20 starts, he averaged 15.3 minutes, 6.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, but he had appeared in just three games since Dec. 8. Warren played in 47 games and averaged 11.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 22.8 min- utes per contest before suffering a broken foot Feb. 2. PHOTO COURTESY PHOENIX SUNS