The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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66 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WHEREARETHEYNOW? BY JACEY ZEMBAL F ormer NC State wide receiver Mike Quick has been associated with the Philadelphia Eagles since 1982, serving as a player for nine years and then as a color analyst for the team's television and radio broad- casts for the last 19 years. Quick, who majored in communications at NC State, has been with SportsRadio 94WIP, which is owned by CBS. He wasn't sure if he wanted to enter the field when his playing career ended in 1990, origi- nally going into business. He half-joked that football "kept calling him back," and he's glad it has. Quick joined Comcast SportsNet when it launched in 1997 in Philadelphia. When the radio opportunity with WIP-FM 94.1 opened up years later, he gladly accepted the position. Quick, who now lives in Marlton, N.J., would go to NFL Films and listen to other color analysts to improve upon his craft. "I had to learn everything in the begin- ning," Quick said. "I just tried to learn from everyone in the business. I started listening to other broadcasters and tried to under- stand what they are trying to give their listening audience." Quick would pre- pare and study for Eagles games in a similar fashion to how he got ready as a player. He still ap- pears on television in various roles, but he enjoys painting a pic- ture on the radio. "I have a really nice routine and a formula for the way that I do it," Quick said. "It works real well." The Philadelphia fan base is well known for their passion, and he understands he has to tell the truth even though he also is associated with the Eagles. "I try not to get too football technical. I think it hurts a broadcast when you try and show how smart you are," Quick said. "I have to be honest in my assessment with the play on the field. "It's not personal when I have to call out a player. It's just me explaining what is happening on the field." In the beginning, the players might have been former teammates or guys Quick played against. As time went on, that dy- namic started to fade. Now, if a current Eagles player asks him about something he said on air, he's willing to watch the film and go over what he saw. "It has gotten easier to be objective and take my heart out of it," Quick said. "The broadcast is one-sided with a hometown view. It's home cooking at its best, but I'm also objective with how I as- sess the play on the field and the individu- als. I try and stay neutral." Quick was a standout football, basketball and track performer at Richmond County High in Rockingham, N.C., before spend- ing a year at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy. " G r o w i n g u p where I did, it was either NC State or N o r t h C a r o l i n a ," Quick said. "I ended up picking NC State. My brother ran track all four years at Car- olina and he played freshman basketball there. He didn't want to sway me one way or another." Quick played his first two years at NC State under head coach Bo Rein and the last two under coach Monte Kiffin. He had 116 career receptions for 1,934 yards and 10 touchdowns from 1978-81. He posted his best numbers as a junior in 1980, catching 43 passes for 632 yards and three scores. Quick quipped he was ready to give up football after one particular play at NC State. "I have a lot of memories at NC State, but not all of them are good," Quick said. "The one major concussion I suffered was against Clemson at Carter-Finley. I caught a slant route, and Bubba Brown the line- backer, put his hat right under my chin. I was out for a long time. "I had some great games at Carter- Finley, and I loved my experiences at NC State." Quick has enjoyed bragging about some of the NCSU wide receivers that followed him into the NFL — Haywood Jeffires, Danny Peebles, Naz Worthen, Koren Rob- inson, Torry Holt and Jerricho Cotchery. Former receiver Reggie Lawrence also once worked for Quick in the 1990s. "We had some good talent coming out at the wide receiver position," Quick said. "Torry Holt was one of my favorites to watch out of the bunch that came out of there. He is just a great player and seemed to be a great person off the field." Quick follows NC State football but doesn't get to watch the Wolfpack as often as he'd like. He got to talk to coach Dave Doeren at a past player's alumni function and came away impressed. "Once in a while, I've shot a message to Dave Doeren, who I've gotten to know," Quick said. "I really like him. "The Clemson game [24-17 overtime loss Oct. 15] just hurt me. I was thinking they were going to knock off one of the top teams, and that hurt." The Philadelphia Eagles selected Quick with the No. 20 overall pick in the first round in 1982. He earned first-team All- Mike Quick Football (1978-81) Age: 57 Living: Marlton, N.J. Occupation: Color analyst for the Philadelphia Eagles on SportsRadio 94WIP Did you know? Quick holds the second-fastest 110-meter high hurdles time — wind-aided 13.74 seconds in 1982 — in NC State history, and sev- enth-fastest 55-meter hurdles (7.43 in 1980). Both were school records at the time. ? WHERE ARE THEY NOW LIVING THE DREAM The Star Receiver At NC State And With The Philadelphia Eagles Is Now A Color Analyst For The NFL Team Quick hauled in 116 catches for 1,934 yards and 10 touchdowns while at NC State from 1978-81 before playing in the NFL. PHOTO COURTESY PHILADELPHIA EAGLES