The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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D Secondary Hopes To Build On Record-Setting 2011 Season BY MATT CARTER AIMING FOR MORE efensive backs coach Mike Reed joked that his wife frequently asks him why he isn't satisfied. Aside from quality time with the family, Reed figures the only time he'll be satisfied, "I'll be dead." |||||||||||| DEFENSIVE BACKS That remains true despite being the coach of a unit that helped set a school record with a nation-leading 27 interceptions in 2011. Twenty-five of the picks came from a sec- ondary that includes an All-American corner, all-conference candidates at both safety spots and a reserve good enough to start for most teams in the league. "We're not where we are wanting to be," Reed said. "We're making strides. Me per- sonally, I don't think I'll ever be satisfied. That's just who I am. That's how I was as a player." Reed is confident that attitude will rub off on junior cornerback David Amerson. Amer- son set an ACC record with 13 interceptions last year, the second-highest total in Football Bowl Subdivision history behind Washing- ton's Al Worley (14) in 1968. Amerson won the Jack Tatum Award as the country's best defensive back and was one of three finalists for the Thorpe Award, also given to the na- tion's top secondary performer. Amerson, who measures 6-3, 194 pounds, was honored with numerous All-America citations, and he is being lauded as a po- tential top pick in the 2013 NFL Draft. Reed, though, is hopeful that life lessons have taught Amerson not to take anything for granted. "There have been some things that have happened to him in his life that let him know that just as fast this ladder he went up for success, he can just as easily fall off of it," Reed noted. "It's going to be a big season for him. As I spoke to him, he can't look forward to getting as many passes thrown to him, but that doesn't change being in position to make those plays when they do come to him." Reed still expects "big things" from Amer- son, and he wants him to take a larger leader- ship role in the secondary. The captain of the Fifth-year senior cornerback C.J. Wilson, who has started since he was a freshman, has made three career interceptions, returning all three for touchdowns. PHOTO BY ERIC LUSK JULY 2012 ■ 81 defensive backs, though, may be fifth-year senior safety Earl Wolff. In 2011, Wolff led the defensive backs with 113 tackles, including a pair for loss, plus he broke up three passes, intercepted two more and forced three fumbles. By the end of the season, the 6-0, 207-pound Wolff was nomi- nated for the All-ACC squad. He is expected to be a contender to make the all-league team in 2012. "When he got here, he was raw," Reed recalled about Wolff, who has started ev- ery game the last two years after making four starts as a redshirt freshman in 2009. "He kind of redefined himself studying film, working on his technique. He's our captain. The guys look to Earl as a spark plug, and he accepts that position. He wants to be the guy that guys look forward to when things are going wrong. "Earl is going to get them up." Senior safety Brandan Bishop (6-2, 205) may be the quiet one in the secondary, and he does not have Amerson's prolific intercepting tendencies, but he's a ball-hawking leader in his own right. Bishop has picked off a total of nine passes the last two years, including five in 2011. He also had 99 tackles last season, two of them for loss, plus three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble. Bishop also leads the second- ary with 33 career starts. "Brandan's a tough kid," Reed said. "It's been good to watch Brandan grow up in the system. He's a young man that's extremely hard working. Of all the guys, he may be the guy that if something is wrong with his game, he's going to figure it out, and he's going to get it right." 2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW Rounding out the projected starters in the secondary is fifth-year senior corner C.J. Wil- son. Like his three teammates patrolling the secondary, Wilson has started since he was a freshman. Wilson has made three career interceptions, returning all three for touch- downs. Wilson's numbers in 2011 were down, however, from his previous campaign. As a redshirt sophomore, Wilson posted 43 tack- les, eight passes broken up and two picks. Last year, Wilson notched 31 hits, a single pass broken up and one interception. Wilson has been working on his strength this offseason, bulking his 5-11 frame up to 187 pounds — eight pounds heavier than his listed weight last year. Reed has also noticed a new mental approach in Wilson that he believes has the cornerback poised to "have a great season." "He has brought a new type of attitude to the situation, and it's good because I think it's something he needed," Reed added. None of the starters should feel assured that they have their spots locked in, thanks to the presence of versatile junior Dontae Johnson. Johnson (6-3, 196) has just three career starts to his credit, but according to Reed, Johnson is "Mr. Everything," and his impact on the team is invaluable. "He's intelligent, smart, extremely athletic for his skill set," Reed stated. "He can go play corner, come back and play safety. He's go- ing to play nickel, and he's allowed us to do some things as a defense that we may have not been able to do without him. Singlehand- edly, if he's a guy that doesn't play as he did in a couple of games last year, we don't win, ||||||| 2012 DEFENSIVE BACKS No. Name 30 11 37 Tyrrell Burriss 14 Jarvis Byrd 21 Niles Clark 1 David Amerson Brandan Bishop Juston Burris 3 Marchez Coates 25 Dontae Johnson 38 Hakim Jones 22 J.J. Jones 47 Shane O'Toole 28 24 20 C.J. Wilson 27 Earl Wolff Josh Sessoms Josh Stanley S/CB S S CB CB CB CB CB DB S DB CB S 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-0 194 205 193 177 186 173 172 196 190 205 197 185 190 187 207 Pos. Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Last School) CB S R-Fr. R-Fr. R-So. Fr. Fr. Jr. Sr. Jr. R-Fr. Fr. Jr. 5th-Sr. 5th-Sr. So. Fr. Greensboro, N.C. (Dudley) Boca Raton, Fla. (Boca Raton) Raleigh (Broughton) Pennington, N.J. (Pennington Prep) Henderson, N.C. (Southern Vance) Lithonia, Ga. (Martin Luther King) Downington, Pa. (Downington West) Bailey, N.C. (Southern Nash) Raleigh (Leesville Road) Pomfret, Md. (McDonough) Lincolnton, N.C. (Lincolnton) Raeford, N.C. (Hoke County) Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland) Pahokee, Fla. (Pahokee) Marietta, Ga. (Lassiter)