The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/73006
■ PACK PROS touchdown. He ranked 14th in the league in solo stops. Tulloch, who has never missed a game — The veteran safety earned his fifth Pro Bowl selection, despite playing the entire season with a torn biceps tendon. It was originally thought that Wilson's season may be ended before it began due to the injury, but instead he bounced back from a lackluster 2010 campaign with 65 tackles, 14 passes defended, one forced fumble and one interception. 4. Steven Hauschka, K, Seattle Se- in his NFL career, helped lead the Lions to their first playoff appearance since 1999, and he was excellent in the postseason. Although Detroit lost, the stout linebacker notched 15 tackles, defended a pair of passes and forced a fumble in the wild card loss to the Saints. 3. Adrian Wilson, S, Arizona Cardinals he responded with the most single-season points for a Wolfpack product since Mike Cofer tallied 111 for the 49ers in 1990. Hauschka finished with 109 points and went 25 of 30 on field goals, with a long of 52 yards, and converted all 34 of his point after tries. He also set career highs for kickoffs (75), touchbacks (26) and average kickoff distance (66.3). 5. Mario Williams, LB Houston Texans — Despite the fact that the former No. 1 overall pick played in just five contests and lined up at outside linebacker for the first time in his career, he still finished with five sacks, 11 tackles, one pass defended and one forced fumble for the Houston Texans, who qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Williams was tied for the AFC lead in ahawks — The kicker played in every game for the first time in his career, and sacks at the time of his injury, and he inked with the Buffalo Bills in the offseason, where he'll put his hand on the ground and be a defensive end again. ■ Mario Williams■ By The Numbers: 1 Williams was selected first overall by the Houston Texans in the 2006 NFL Draft. 2 Players in NFL history that have tallied more sacks than Williams' 48 by the time they turned 26 — Derrick Thomas (58) and Dwight Freeney (51). 14 Sacks by Williams during the 2007 season, his second in the league, which set a career high and led the AFC. 33.6 Percent (48 of 143) of the Texans' sacks from 2006-10 were tallied by Williams, the third-highest per- centage in the NFL during that span. 48.5 Sacks for Williams since 2007, which is tied for the most in the NFL during that stretch with Robert Mathis. However, Mathis played in 74 games in those five years, while Williams appeared in 66. 53 Career sacks for the defensive end, which is a franchise record for the Houston Texans. 82 Career starts for Williams in 82 games played. He has missed just 14 games in his six years in the league, 11 of which came last season after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. 94 Will be Williams' jersey number with his new club, because No. 90 was already taken. 100 Million-dollar contract that he signed with the Bills this offseason as a free agent, making him the highest-paid defender in NFL history. 150 ■ THE WOLFPACKER former Wolfpackers. What They're Saying What people around the NFL are saying about when you sit there and up the strength, and the guy keeps growing. And then, he's the fastest guy on the field, too." "He looks like a Madden character you create ■ Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick on new teammate Mario Williams after the team's first voluntary minicamp. ent people ascribe different meanings to it. We can debate whether it applies to Rivers. What I know is this: Rivers is an outstanding quarterback, by any measure. If it takes a Super Bowl win for some to see him that way, so be it. But a ring would not change what kind of player he is." — NFL Films' Greg Cosell in a column titled, "Chargers' Philip Riv- ers is the NFL's Toughest Pocket Passer." • "The word 'elite' is often tossed around. Differ- time and bounced back from a subpar 2010 season to play at his usual high level. The amaz- ing this is he did it with a torn biceps tendon. Wow." — CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco on ranking Adrian Wilson No. 70 on his list of the top 100 players in the NFL. • "He's been one of my favorites for a long coach Jim Schwartz after the team announced it re- signed linebacker Stephen Tulloch. Schwartz was the Tennessee Titans' defensive coordinator in 2006 when the team drafted the NC State product; he coached Tulloch for three years before taking the Lions' gig. you really see his speed. It's been refreshing to see him take a hitch, make the defender miss and run down the sideline. … He definitely can add a dif- ferent dimension to our offense. It's going to be a matter of him getting up to seed and learning things, making the plays when he needs to." — Fitzpatrick on rookie receiver T.J. Graham. • "Every time you see him catch the ball in space draft, this guy gives you a chance to have a great player. It's going to be really exciting to see what he can bring. All he's ever done is be great." — Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll on rookie quarter- back Russell Wilson. • "More than anybody else that was alive in the ons. This is a great day for every kid who was told he was too small, every kid that wasn't the fastest guy on paper, but went out and had a passion for the game and played the game the way it was supposed to be played. … It's a great day when things like that are rewarded. He's everything that's right with the NFL. He's everything that's right with the game of football." — Detroit Lions • "This is not just a great day for the Li- WILLIAMS PHOTO COURTESY BUFFALO BILLS