The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/80446
■ PACK PAST In fact, NC State College Chancellor Carey Bostian had decided to disband the varsity program in 1952, at the height of an athlet- ics department financial crisis. Basketball was rolling along under the direction of head coach Everett Case, but football al- ways struggled to be successful in decrepit and unsustainable Riddick Stadium. But the formation of the Atlantic Coast Confer- ence in 1953 forced the Wolfpack, which was in danger of being left behind when other Southern Conference teams broke away to form the new league, to rededicate itself to gridiron glory. Even Edwards, however, didn't want to play on his home field, choosing to ac- cept gate guarantees at schools all over the country to help reduce the athletics department's debt and begin saving for a new stadium. By 1957, however, Edwards had the nu- cleus of a good team, even if it was small in numbers and in stature. The full roster had 53 players, and the travel squad con- sisted of 35. Paroli, at 6-1, 230 pounds, was the biggest player on the team, and that stemmed more from his time in the Army than his time in the weight room under Rid- dick Stadium. Hunter, the diminutive but feisty left halfback, weighed 157 pounds and wore size 5½ cleats. "By our senior year, we were pretty good," Oddo said in a 2007 interview. "We had good spirit, good morale. We got along well, we had great coaches, and we had lots of fun. The small squad gave us an advantage. "We all knew each other and we all cared for each other, the coaches as well as the players." As was typical during that time, the Wolfpack played its first five games of '57 on the road, though State was considered the "home team" for its season-opening 7-0 win over North Carolina at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. Trips to Maryland, Clemson, Florida State and Miami followed. The defensively strong Pack outscored the first four oppo- nents 75-20 and dueled the Hurricanes to a scoreless tie on a Friday night in Miami, thanks in great part to a goal-line stand with less than a minute to play. The team's first true home game was against No. 4 Duke during the week of Halloween. That game ended in a 14-14 tie, which might be one of the most significant out- comes in the history of Wolfpack football. In a rare instance of home-field advan- tage, the Wolfpack scored its two touch- downs just as long Southern Railway trains rumbled just beyond the south end zone Sharing Powerful Tools to Improve Bottom Line Performance Using advanced technology and consulting expertise, we provide a variety of value-added services to our clients. These services reduce customer costs, increase efficiency, and improve employee satisfaction - bringing your employee benefits program to new heights in quality and performance. Can your current broker say the same? www.probenefitsolutions.com 919.781.4004 William Salmon John McDonnell NC STATE WOLFPACK & the Mary Edna Williams Class of 1978 Broker Above Crowd 1520 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh maryednaw@remax.net RE/MAX Preferred Associates Office: 919-256-4201 Cell: 919-880-0071 www.maryednawilliams.com ! Each office independently owned and operated SEPTEMBER 2012 ■ 87