The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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132 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FIVE BEST PLAYERS 1. Shadrach Thornton, Running Back Thornton finished his career with 2,572 rushing yards, but a deeper dive into the numbers suggest how good Thornton could have been had he stayed on a straight path off the field. Between suspensions, digging his way out of head coach Dave Doeren's doghouse and his ultimate dismissal from the team, Thornton essentially missed 14 games in his career. In the 33 games Thornton fully participated, he averaged 77.3 rushing yards a contest. If that number is applied to the games he missed, Thornton would have finished with 3,633 career yards, just nine yards shy of Joe McIntosh for second most in school history. 2. David J. Grinnage, Tight End When Grinnage camped at NC State and subsequently earned an offer, he committed immediately. At the time, his only other option was Delaware State. Grinnage proved to be quite the find for the Pack. He emerged as a starter during his redshirt freshman season and caught 15 passes that year. Over the next two seasons he averaged 26 receptions per campaign before his premature departure to the NFL Draft. 3. Robert Caldwell, Linebacker His impact was limited to one season, but it was still significant. Caldwell led NCSU's defense with 105 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2013. He recorded double-digit stops in four of the 12 games that year. 4. Niles Clark, Cornerback/Nickel Clark may never have developed into a full-time starter, but after switch- ing from corner to nickel in the middle of the 2015 season he essentially split the reps with starter Dravious Wright. Clark averaged 30.0 snaps per game as a senior after getting 28.2 snaps per contest in the final six games of 2015. In 19 games at nickel, Clark intercepted three passes, including one pick-six. 5. M.J. Salahuddin, Linebacker A series of knee injuries left Salahuddin wondering what could have been for his career. He blossomed after the coaching change from Tom O'Brien to Dave Doeren and battled for a starting job going into his true sophomore season. He ended up starting five contests and had a personal- best nine tackles against No. 3 Clemson. He tore his ACL the following preseason however and reinjured the knee later, forcing him to take a medi- cal hardship and end his career. Middle linebacker Robert Caldwell led the Pack with 105 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss in 2013. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 1. Shadrach Thornton vs. UNC, 2014 In one of the most dominating performances at the line of scrimmage during an ACC game in recent NC State football history, Thornton led the way with 28 rushes for 161 yards and a touchdown. NCSU finished the game with 388 rushing yards com- pared to just 30 for the Heels and routed UNC in Kenan Stadium, 35-7. 2. Shadrach Thornton vs. The Citadel, 2012 Thornton had been expected to redshirt, but injuries to the top three tailbacks on the roster during the first three games of the year forced him into action. His debut was against The Citadel. Thornton ran 21 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns in NCSU's 52-14 win and became the first Wolfpack running back since Joe McIntosh in 1981 to eclipse 100 yards in his collegiate debut. 3. Shadrach Thornton at Florida State, 2013 The game itself was forgettable for the Wolfpack after the Noles trounced NCSU 49- 17 in Tallahassee en route to FSU's national title that season. Thornton though served notice that he belonged on the field. He ran 23 times for a career-high 173 yards and two scores, including a 72-yarder. He also led the Pack with five receptions for 32 yards. 4. Robert Caldwell at Boston College, 2013 The Pack let a competitive game slip away in the fourth quarter, when BC turned a 20-14 lead into a 38-21 victory. That was not the fault of Caldwell, who finished with a career-best 17 tackles, including two for loss. 5. Shadrach Thornton at Clemson, 2012 While the Tigers prevailed in a wild shootout 62-48, Thornton rushed 21 times for 114 yards and a score and added four receptions for 53 yards. He contributed 167 of the 597 total yards of offense NC State produced in the loss. 6. Robert Caldwell vs. Clemson, 2013 This was Caldwell's breakthrough game in 2013, his one full season as a starter during which he would be named honorable mention All-ACC. Caldwell piled up 12 tackles, including three for loss, in the 26-14 defeat. The game was marred when NCSU appeared to have taken a 14-13 third-quarter lead against the Tigers only to have a long touchdown run by receiver Bryan Under - wood called back by an official who believed Underwood had stepped out of bounds. Replays suggested that did not happen. 7. Robert Caldwell vs. East Carolina, 2013 A week after Caldwell's 17-tackle performance at Boston College, he was almost equally active in what would be a 42-28 loss to the Pirates at home to end a difficult season. Caldwell provided 10 tackles, including three for loss and a sack. 8. David J. Grinnage vs. Clemson, 2015 Playing against a Clemson squad that would eventually play for the national title, Grinnage caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown. NCSU though would lose yet another shootout with the Tigers, 56-41. 9. David J. Grinnage vs. Florida State, 2014 NC State raced out to a 24-7 lead against the defending national champs, and Grin - nage played a role in that. He finished with four receptions for a career-best 87 yards in the game, which FSU rallied to win 56-41. 10. David J. Grinnage at Florida State, 2015 FSU seemed to bring out some of the best in Grinnage. He caught seven passes for 63 yards in this game, which was tied 17-17 at halftime before the Noles pulled away for a 34-17 triumph in Tallahassee. TOP 10 INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES OF THE CLASS OF 2012