The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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74 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PAST product and have the training room staff to give us an open door is great." Eugene called the project about 70 per- cent completed and is hopeful that Gryp- pers will hit the open market by its tar- get date. To reach that point took a strong bond between Eugene and Morgan, help and support from key individuals at NC State, and — of course — financial back- ing. NCSU students Shannon Tart, Desirae Scruggs and Jamie McLean helped perfect Eugene's idea. Eugene had always viewed himself as having entrepreneurial traits, but he just wasn't aware of it when he was a college stu- dent. He has grown to enjoy the business side of the project, and sees the yin and yang of the two parts. "I always wanted to be in business at some point," Eugene said. "It just depends on the day. If I do a lot of product development, I start missing the business side. If I do a lot on the business side, I am los- ing out on the develop- ment." T h e 2 9 - y e a r - o l d moved back to Raleigh in October 2015, with his girlfriend Crystal Pride and their 5-year- old daughter Brielle. Morgan also enjoys working on the product, but has a natural feel of getting out to the public and selling the product. Morgan is looking forward to going up and down the state of Florida, where they are both from, and selling the perks of Gryppers to high schools, colleges and pro teams. The 30-year-old recently moved from Raleigh to Miramar, Fla., with his wife Shameka and four children — DaJuan Jr. (6 years old), Skyla-Rae (5 years old Sept. 3), Dawson (3 years old) and Damir (1 year old). "My passion has been in the product as well, but I enjoy getting in front of people, talking and selling, and actually making money," Morgan said. "I have a strong background in selling from my experi- ences. "This is a big opportunity for Gryppers to take over the East Coast and Florida." Morgan and Eugene thought they were good friends, but this business venture has taken their relationship to a different level. "There are more variables involved now," Eugene said. "We know each other on a different level. Before, I might have known that he doesn't eat cheese and I don't eat cheese. Now, I know the reason he doesn't eat cheese, and he knows the reason I don't eat cheese. There is more knowledge beyond the understanding." There are numerous chapters on the journey to success. Eugene and Morgan know that without the help of their alma mater that path would have been more dif- ficult. "Every step of the way, we get help in some form or fashion," Eugene said. "We just happen to have one of the best textile schools in the world." Eugene is thankful to his parents, who gave the first loan for the project, which helped with patent research and the other initial steps. They also helped support him through the tough days. From Wolfpack Club executive director Bobby Purcell to NC State sports informa- tion director Annabelle Myers to Wayne "Smoke" Hubert and the NCSU equip- ment people, help has always been waiting around the corner. The NC State College of Textiles has also been crucial in getting the project off the ground. Professors Russell Gorga and Jess Jur, plus many others, have helped "connect the dots" along the way for Gryp- pers. "Each dot takes you to a different level, a different stage or different course," Eugene said. "There is no way all of this could have been done without the support that we had. We aren't even done, we are just in the beginning, but it has been so much." When Morgan came back to school in 2015 to complete his degree, he came across an email from a professor and re- alized that in two days Gryppers would have a golden opportunity to present its company. "I had two days to submit to the North Carolina sports court, which puts on an event for start-up businesses in North Car- olina," Morgan said. "You have to be a student or affiliated with the school." Morgan had just graduated, but an intern with Gryppers was eligible for the $1,500 prize. "We got into that pro- gram because my professor reached out to me," Mor- gan said. "We went and competed, but didn't win. A judge from the NC Idea Foundation was there. He came up to us and told us he thought we'd be a great fit for a NC Idea grant and the Groundwork Lab." Morgan and Eugene went from being excited about trying to win a $1,500 prize in one competition, to com- peting for a $50,000 grant from the NC Idea Founda- tion. The chance meeting with John Austin of Ground- work Lab is another exam- ple of dots being connected. "We ended up being one of five companies that won," Morgan said. "That just shows how the univer- sity played a particular role to help us get that grant." Starting a new business is not easy, and the demands made in the beginning, time- wise and financially, are challenging. Eu- gene and Morgan have had hard conversa- tions and come to agreements on issues. "You can have pride, but you can't let pride take it over or become a part of the business," Eugene said. "That can ruin what you are trying to do and how you are trying to do it." Eugene is excited about the future, and Morgan has studied what other similar companies have achieved. Once the prod- uct is for sale, it could be several more years for everything to reach "full capac- ity" both from a product side and finan- cially. That is what motivates both, the work that is unfinished. "Gryppers just does so much in a small package," Eugene said. "We believe it is the future. It is about innovation and the athletes. It is about their performance, and we want to protect the athlete as well." ■ From left to right: Morgan, Shannon Tart, Desirae Scruggs and Eugene are aiming to have Gryppers hit the open market by mid-September. Tart and Scruggs are students at NC State who helped engineer the product. PHOTOS COURTESY GRYPPERS.COM