The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/80446
WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Gray is another massive defensive tackle at 6-4 and 321 pounds. "T.Y. and I have some chemistry, but we need to build on that," Buntyn said. "I need to build on my own personal skills to get better." Buntyn said Raleigh feels like a sec- ond home and has several features that his hometown of Havelock has. He knew NCSU redshirt junior outside linebacker Rickey Dowdy from years ago, but he is essentially making new friends. At 6-4 and around 325 pounds, you'd think Buntyn would stick out while walking around cam- pus, but he doesn't get asked that often if he is on the football team. "I knew one student, but he's already graduated," Buntyn said. "I don't talk about playing football, and they don't ask. I don't want people to ask football questions. I just leave the questions to the media." — Jacey Zembal Mustafa Greene Works His Way Back Into Fold Running Back NC State fans haven't seen redshirt soph- Buntyn, the nation's No. 22 junior college prospect according to Rivals.com, notched 16 total stops and three tackles for loss for New Mexico Military Institute last year. Back in New Mexico, I didn't get this. It's much harder and a lot better competition." NC State defensive line coach Keith Wil- lis Sr. has been pushing Buntyn hard, and for good reason. Rivals.com ranked him the No. 22 junior college recruit in the country. He had 16 tackles and three tackles for loss to help New Mexico Military Institute post a 9-3 record last year. "Coach Willis is always talking about going to class and getting my grades right," Buntyn said. "He wants me to get off the ball hard and just jack everybody up. That's his words, 'Jack everybody up.'" Buntyn has learned it's not as easy to "jack everybody up" when going against the senior trio of guards R.J. Mattes and Zach Allen and center Camden Wentz. "Even though I'm here at a D-I, I still have a lot more things that I need to work on," Buntyn said. "I need to extend my arms more and get off the ball harder. I need to shoot the gaps, and things like that. "Saying it and doing it are two different things. I can say I can do this and that, but doing it is much harder than saying it." The Tuesday scrimmage proved to be taxing for Buntyn, but playing for NC State is something he's looked forward to doing for quite some time. "Oh man, was I tired," Buntyn said. "My 52 ■ THE WOLFPACKER PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN best friend, [junior defensive tackle Isaac] Swindell helped me through it the whole way. He kept pushing me and said, 'Even though you are tired, you have to keep go- ing.' That is what I did. Even though I got beat on some things, I still worked hard and ran 100 percent to the ball." Buntyn half-joked that he used to play in 120-degree heat while at New Mexico Military Institute, which produced former NCSU defensive tackle Natanu Mageo. "We'd still be out there in 120 degrees, but it's easier here if it gets hot because I'm already used to it," Buntyn said. The heat and two years of junior college football did not prepare him for the new Wolfpack strength and conditioning pro- gram under former player Corey Edmond. "He has been a great, great help," Buntyn said. "When I first got here, I was at 340 pounds [on his 6-4 frame]. I've lost about 10-15 pounds. I can run faster, longer and I've gotten stronger. I'm blessed to have him here. I'm comfortable now at 325, and that's hard to push off the line." Redshirt sophomore Thomas Teal, soph- omore T.Y. McGill and Buntyn give NC State some considerable beef in the middle of the defensive line. Teal checks in at 6-2 and 315 pounds, while McGill is listed at 6-1 and 298. Redshirt freshman Carlos omore running back Mustafa Greene on the field since the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl. The then-freshman scored in the win over West Virginia, and finished the year as the team's leading rusher with 134 carries for 597 yards and four scores; he also hauled in 30 passes for 272 yards and two scores. Then, the 6-0, 213-pounder broke his foot in the spring of 2011, and redshirted last fall, before he made a brief return this spring and then was held out from team activity until last week, due to off-the-field issues. "It feels great having the support of my team and my coaches, and just being able to get that second chance," he said. "I'm so ready to get back into practice. I just want to get behind my team, my coaches and fans, and just get out there and play. I just thank God, thank Coach [O'Brien] and thank my teammates for another opportunity." At media day on Aug. 11, Greene de- clared his foot 100 percent healthy, and he's anxious to be able to prove it. He said he still knows the playbook pretty well because that hasn't changed much since he last played, but he's still putting in ex- tra hours in the film room and the weight room, trying to make up for lost time. "My foot feels good," he said. "It's been a lot of hard work with training. I'm trying to get back in there and get in the flow of things. I've just been working hard trying to get back. "I'm getting there, I've still got a lot more work to do on the field and off the