The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/73006
2012 FOOTBALL PREVIEW practices. At safety, the Pack's depth took a hit when a pair of rising juniors, Donald Coleman and Dean Haynes, decided to transfer in search of more playing time. That has opened the door for redshirt freshman Hakim Jones, who moved from linebacker to safety in the spring. The 6-2, 190-pound Jones is the younger brother of former NC State line- backer Ernest Jones. "I feel that Hakim will be able to step in and make it happen," Reed said. "Hakim is an extremely athletic young man. He's long and rangy, and he's like a sponge. There's not a lot of bad habits I have to break from him, and he'll be okay. That's why they say coach these guys up. With the competition level and the pressure he puts on himself, he has no choice but to step it up." Interception Totals Year 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 Year-By-Year Int. 27 9 8 18 10 7 13 9 11 16 197 58 121 199 138 315 129 A pair of tall true freshmen will also be in the mix. J.J. Jones (6-4, 205) and Josh Sessoms (6-3, 185) are both two-sport stars who excelled in basketball and football in high school. "A unique combo — tall, rangy young men, very athletic," Reed said. "It's going to be exciting to see them get down and get dirty. Their learning curve is going to be a big one because they are coming from high school. The speed is a lot faster and guys are a lot stronger, so they are going to have to come in and bust their behinds in the weight room and on the field, but we recruited them for a reason, and that's because we think they can get on the field and help us win." While the back end of the depth chart has some questions, there's little denying that on the front line there are proven players that have developed since their days as freshmen being picked on by opposing quarterbacks. "They remember the days of walking out of the tunnel and guys telling them how bad they played and how they stunk, that we were the weak link of the defense," Reed said. "I think those guys have used that for fuel for their determination. "They want to be special. I think that we'll never be satisfied. We're looking to be the best." ■ 84 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Return Yards 381 164 65 Burris was named the Wolfpack's Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. Juston Burris has been anxiously awaiting his chance to make his official debut in red and white after he became NC State's first commitment in the class of 2011, back in March 2010. The 6-1, 193-pound cornerback spent his rookie campaign on the scout team while providing depth behind the experienced starting duo of All-American David Amerson and C.J. Wilson. He was not used in a game and was given a redshirt. Although it was difficult spending Saturdays on the sidelines, Burris remained focused in practice and was named the Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. "It was a great honor," he said. "I was working hard. It was kind of hard at first because I wasn't playing, and I GETTING TO KNOW: Juston Burris PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN wasn't used to that. But I bought in and I understood that I was still helping the team — that made it a lot better, and it made me want to work harder so that I could get to where I am now, where I have a chance to play this year." Burris — a local two-way star who also returned punts and kicks — opened the spring second on the depth chart at boundary corner, behind Wilson. He didn't have much experience at cornerback on the prep level, but he has proved to be a quick learner and is settling in at his new position. "I feel a lot more comfortable then I did when I first got here because I came from playing safety," he said. "It's a lot different and guys are faster, so I've got to learn a lot quicker. I feel like I'm picking it up [heading into] my second year. "The toughest transition was just the speed. At safety, I was playing off and I was playing a lot of zone because I was more of a free safety in high school. Now, I'm playing man, cover one, cover zero. It's a lot different." Burris noted that his welcome to college football moment came at his very first practice in summer camp last season. "The first day I was here, I got in with the ones because two guys went down — I think one guy was [dealing with the] heat and another guy got hurt," he remembered. "I went in and I was going against [former receiver] T.J. Graham. That was a big moment, seeing T.J. across from me because I've watched him for years. "Playing against him and the other ones helped a lot. I was going against T.J. and guys like that who can play in the NFL. It gave me confidence in myself that I can get to that level, that I can play at this level against those top- caliber guys." The defender loves playing in his hometown and tries to keep a close eye on his alma mater, Broughton High, which is located just a few miles from campus. This summer, the Pack will be adding one of Burris' former team- mates — linebacker Drew Davis. "It's great to play here because I've got a lot of people around here, a lot of fans," Burris noted. "I can go back to my school and see the younger guys who are coming up and going to college [in the next few years]. I got to go back and watch them play last year, so it was good. I wouldn't have gone anywhere else, I like being home. "I'm excited about Drew coming. The day he got the offer, Coach [Mike] Archer called me and told me that he had an offer. I called Drew right then and that was big, I talked to him for a while. That was great to see another guy from Broughton come here." — Ryan Tice