The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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78 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ PACK PROS White Sox: The second-year southpaw landed on the disabled list July 9 with a sprained wrist … He went down for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte July 26 and threw 3 2 ⁄3 innings in his first outing since July 5 … Made a pair of starts since returning to Chicago, throwing 12 1 ⁄3 innings, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits, and striking out 14 … On the season, he is 2-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 18 MLB starts … He has struck out 105 against 36 walks in 104 1 ⁄3 innings pitched. • Eric Surkamp (2006‑08), LHP, Free Agent: After nine starts with the Athletics, he was 0-5 with a 6.98 ERA … Was designated for assignment in late June before being briefly picked up by the Texas Rangers, who reportedly sold his rights to the Hanwha Eagles of the Korean Baseball Organization. • Trea Turner (2012‑14), INF/OF, Wash‑ ington Nationals: Has played in 22 games, including seven in center field … On the year, he is hitting .303 in 89 at-bats with 13 runs scored, 27 hits, four doubles, four triples, two home runs and 12 RBI … Has also walked three times and stolen eight bases in nine tries. Cat Barber Signs Partially Guaranteed Deal Former NC State point guard Anthony "Cat" Barber inked a partially guaranteed contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 21, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania. Despite leading the ACC with an average of 23.5 points per game and ranking fourth with 4.45 assists per contest, the unani- mous all-conference pick went undrafted. He later suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans in NBA Summer League action, where he averaged 6.3 points per game in four appearances. Barber will battle guards T.J. McCon- nell, Jerryd Bayless, Sergio Rodriguez and Kendall Marshall for roster spots in Philly. Patriots' Wolfpack Rookies Shining Early New England Patriots rookies Joe Thuney and Jacoby Brissett have both im- pressed early on in training camp. Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reported Aug. 2 after five days of practice that Thuney "has taken a ton of reps with the first team and looks great at right guard." Some of that opportunity he is receiving is due to injuries to others, but the Patriots struggled up front last year and the team has given every indication that the Wolf- packer will be given a chance to start after being drafted in the third round. Fellow third-rounder Brissett, mean- while, has helped give the squad its "best quarterback depth chart in the Bill Belich- ick era," according to Volin. "And Brissett looks like he belongs, too," he wrote. "He's a big, athletic kid who throws with accuracy, zip and timing, and throws the best deep ball among the three quarterbacks." The others two are future Hall of Famer Tom Brady and third-year professional Jimmy Garoppolo, who Brissett will be competing with to start while Brady sits out the first four games of the year for a suspension — although Garoppolo is con- sidered a heavy favorite to earn that gig. "We have three players we want to work with," Belichick told Patriots.com. "Look, in some other years I've seen teams that probably don't feel like they have anybody or maybe they have one. I think we're in a good situation. We'll just see how it plays out." Willie Young Inks Extension With Bears Veteran defender Willie Young was en- tering the 2016 season in the last year of his contract with the Chicago Bears. However, the team gave him a two-year extension before the start of the campaign that will keep him in Chicago through 2018. It's been quite the journey for the former NCSU defensive end, who was shifted to linebacker last year after the squad moved to a 3-4 alignment and reportedly asked for a trade in October. Young stuck it out, though, and eventu- ally found his stride at his new position. He racked up his first sack in the fifth contest of the season, added 5.5 more in the final 11 tilts, snared his first NFL interception (which he returned 39 yards) and totaled 26 stops over the final nine games after notch- ing just four in his first seven appearances. After posting a career-high 10 sacks in 2015 before tearing his Achilles tendon in the final week, Young recovered to finish second on the team in sacks (6.5) and first in tackles for loss (12) while playing a new position. "You come into the league as a seventh- round draft pick and you're not expected to be any more than a practice-squad guy, but I never paid that no mind," Young told ESPN.com in June. "… I approached the game as if I were a first-round draft pick. Every day it's a fight. … I've never had a break. I don't expect to get a break. I'm always working."' Young's 16.5 sacks over the past two seasons nearly triples the number of quar- terback takedowns he totaled in his first four years in the league (six). "It feels good to reward somebody that's worked as hard as he's worked and over- come the injury last year, and the leader that he is out there mentoring our younger players," general manager Ryan Pace told The Chicago Tribune. ■ ■ BY THE NUMBERS 5, 10 Were the respective SI.com rankings of Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks) and Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) among the NFL's top 10 quarter- backs. No other college in the country could claim two alums on the list. 7 Of MLB legend Rafael Palmeiro's 20 professional seasons were played with the Baltimore Orioles, who drafted his son, former NCSU first baseman Preston, in the seventh round of the 2016 draft. Palmeiro, who had one season of eligibility left after earning second-team All-ACC honors, was the top- drafted Wolfpacker and signed with the club less than two hours before the July 15, 5 p.m. deadline. 22.7 Miles per hour is how fast Washington Nationals utility man Trea Turner was clocked on a triple July 20, the fastest in the majors this year, according to MLB.com's Andrew Simon. Turner also owns the third-fastest max speed on a three-bagger this year at 22.4 miles per hour. 38 Million dollars is the maximum value of Oakland Raiders cornerback David Amerson's four-year contract extension signed in mid-July, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport. He was named Pro Football Focus' Most Improved Player in 2015 and is expected to start this fall for Oakland. Young led the Chicago Bears in tackles for loss (12) and finished second in sacks (6.5) in 2015. PHOTO COURTESY CHICAGOBEARS.COM