The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/80446
WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Pack Adds Penn State Transfer staff, and I know the guys are all good players. They are motivated about it, so this is going to motivate them this year. I am going to be excited to watch them play every Saturday." But not as excited as he is about "com- ing home," as he put it. Buckley joked that since Cardinal Gibbons is literally across the street from NC State's Carter-Finley Stadium, he could see the Wolfpack's home venue from his high school. The 6-0, 202-pounder was a star running back at Cardinal Gibbons. Buckley ran for almost 1,800 yards and scored 36 touch- downs as a senior in 2010 and was named his conference's player of the year. He was recruited by NC State, but Buck- ley admitted not heavily. He did pick up an offer from Central Michigan during his senior year, but Buckley instead chose to be a preferred walk-on at Penn State. Then the lure of being back in familiar territory became too much. "Choosing between NC State and any other school, it was a no-brainer for NC State," Buckley said. "I'm excited, I can't wait for the opportunity to get on the field. It's a feeling that you can't really describe." Deylan Buntyn Poised To Provide Impact At Defensive Tackle Junior defensive tackle Deylan Buntyn Redshirt freshman safety Tim Buckley, a former walk-on from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, was the first player to transfer from Penn State after the program was hit by severe NCAA sanctions. at Penn State. The former walk-on from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh was awarded a scholarship following the Nittany Lions' spring practices in 2012, and he was listed as the backup safety on the depth chart. R Then the hammer dropped. Massive sanctions imposed on Penn State by the NCAA after the fallout from the Jerry Sandusky scandal opened the door for current players to leave the pro- gram without punishment. Buckley initi- ated the contact with NC State. "It was hard, but once I talked to NC State, it was an easy decision for me," Buckley said. Buckley became the first Penn State player to leave the program when he transferred to NC State. The move was announced July 30, a day before the first practice for NC State. He immediately lined up as the backup safety in the Wolf- 48 ■ THE WOLFPACKER PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN edshirt freshman safety Tim Buckley was looking at a pretty good situation pack's stacked secondary, which ranks among the best in the country. "The DBs are great to work with, they're one of the best and most productive sec- ondaries in the country, so coming here and learning from them, and from Coach [Mike] Reed, has been awesome," Buckley stated. NCSU head coach Tom O'Brien has been impressed with Buckley's quick prog- ress. "I think he's acclimated very well," O'Brien said. "He was well coached at Penn State, and he's a fast learner, so that's good for us." Buckley chooses to not reflect publicly much on what happened at Penn State af- ter the well-documented Jerry Sandusky scandal broke. "I have respect for Penn State," Buckley said, adding that he still talks to quite a few friends on the team. "I don't really want to get involved in talking about that. "I just know they got a good coaching has shed 15 pounds and is learning the day- to-day intricacies of Division I football. The Havelock, N.C., native attended New Mexico Military Institute for two sea- sons before enrolling last January for the NC State spring semester. His football per- sona has drastically changed since arriving in Raleigh, first with spring practices, and then followed by fall camp. "I've been tired all the time, but other than that, it's kind of been life-changing for me," Buntyn said. "It's something new. ■ 2012 NC State Football Schedule Nov. 10 Wake Forest Nov. 17 at Clemson Nov. 24 Boston College * at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta Oct. 27 at North Carolina Nov. 3 Oct. 20 at Maryland Virginia Sept. 15 South Alabama Sept. 22 The Citadel Sept. 29 at Miami Oct. 6 Sept. 8 Florida State Date Opponent Aug. 31 vs. Tennessee* at Connecticut 7:30 p.m./ESPNU 12 p.m./ESPN3 6 p.m. 6 p.m. TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA TBA Time/TV