The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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WOLFPACK FOOTBALL ways coming back to NC State for one final season. "I knew I was going to come back and play football," Monk stated. "That's the reason I came to school down here, to play football." Monk, who said he missed "hitting peo- ple" the most while he was gone, admitted it took a week to shake off the rustiness. "I would always hear Coach [Jon] Tenuta say, 'Get the rust off,'" Monk recalled. "After the first week, I was good to go. It's good to be back out on the field." Monk will be wearing his third different jersey number this fall. He started with No. 12 before switching to No. 37 in 2010. Since redshirt freshman receiver Tyrrell Burriss has that number now, Monk is wearing No. 16, famously worn by Russell Wilson. "I'm good friends with Russell, so it's no problems," Monk insisted. After what he feels like has been a good training camp, Monk is hoping that State fans will check their rosters to see who is the new No. 16 by getting on the field this fall. "I love playing with my teammates," Monk said. "I love being out here." — Matt Carter Carlos Gray Excited To Play For Wolfpack One of the more promising rookies ex- pected to hit the field this fall for the Wolf- pack is redshirt freshman defensive tackle Carlos Gray, and it's been a long journey to reach this point for Gray. The Pinson, Ala., native actually signed with a different Tobacco Road school in 2010, that being North Carolina. He did not qualify academically, however, and ended up at Oak Ridge (N.C.) Military Academy that fall. "It was UNC, but I had some problems, went to military school and found NC State," Gray recalled. "It felt like home, and [I] chose NC State." Asked if he ever considered re-signing with UNC after that, Gray gave a quick and blunt answer: "No." Then the 6-4, 321-pounder redshirted last year, meaning that a player who could have been a true junior entering this season at UNC is just starting his collegiate career at NC State instead. "Very eager," Gray described as his feel- ings. "I've been out for a pretty long time now. That's a long time to sit out. It's time to show them what I can do. "I'm doing pretty good. I just need to learn the playbook a little more, that's about it." Gray, a native of Pinson, Ala., originally committed to UNC, but he is glad he eventually ended up at NC State instead. Gray admits that sitting out last season was not easy. "It was very tough, but I learned to bond with most of my teammates just sitting back and watching them play," he said. Although the defensive tackle depth chart is both competitive and deep, Gray believes he should be able to make an im- pact quickly. "I have very high expectations," he said, "but first just be ready for the first game." — Matt Carter Notes • NC State's football squad officially elected a pair of fifth-year seniors to be co-captains this season — quarter- back Mike Glennon to represent the offense and linebacker Sterling Lucas to represent the defense. "Being elected by their peers is testament to the leadership that these two young men have shown," NC State head coach Tom O'Brien said. "Not only have they worked hard throughout spring practice and in our summer workouts, but Mike and Sterling have also already earned their degrees." • Redshirt sophomore quarterback Tyler Brosius was held out of practice the first few days, along with running PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN back Mustafa Greene and defensive tackle A.J. Ferguson, due to academics. Greene and Ferguson returned to the practice field during fall camp, but Brosius elected to transfer to Walters State Community College in Tennessee and play baseball. Brosius was slated to be the backup quarterback behind Glennon. Brosius' departure leaves freshman Manny Stocker and walk-on sophomore Garrett Leatham as the backups. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brian Taylor had also previously left the program during the offseason, and former Colorado State quarterback Pete Thomas is sitting out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. Brosius was a former Rivals.com three-star recruit and the No. 29 quarterback in the country coming out of Tuscola Senior High in Waynesville, N.C., in 2010. He originally verbally committed to Virginia before switching his pledge to NC State. Brosius completed 8 of 13 passes for 56 yards with a touchdown as a rookie in 2011. He played well in the spring game, connecting on 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards. • Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Bryan Underwood underwent knee surgery Aug. 13 and was listed as "out indefinitely" by O'Brien going into the season. Underwood was listed on the second string behind redshirt junior Quintin Payton at wide receiver. He caught 16 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns last year. Underwood's absence during fall camp heightened the need for redshirt freshmen Maurice Morgan, Hakeem Flowers and Tyrrell Burriss, and freshman Charlie Hegedus, to emerge at wide receiver. Burriss switched from cornerback during the early stages of fall camp, joining redshirt junior Rashard Smith in making the move from the secondary. The Wolfpack also lost sophomore linebacker Michael Peek, who was expected to contend for a starting job, for the season with an ACL tear. Freshman defensive end Joe Wright also underwent surgery for a meniscus injury. • O'Brien confirmed that class of 2012 signees Desmond Owino and Tyler Knox, both defensive ends, as well as wide receiver Xavier Griffin did not qualify. Owino and Griffin are slated for a post-graduate year, while Knox had signed with a junior college last February as a precaution to not qualifying. • NC State defensive backs David Amerson and Earl Wolff were both selected to the preseason All-ACC team, which was announced July 25 at the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, N.C. NC State was also picked to finish third in the Atlantic Division by the media, behind first-place Florida State and Clemson. • NC State is projecting an Academic Progress Rate score of 973 for next year, which would be an all-time high for the program. NCSU had previously scored a 931 for the years 2007-11. NC State's single-year score for 2010-11 was 943. SEPTEMBER 2012 ■ 57