The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 BY JACEY ZEMBAL N C State is referring to star se‑ nior Jaylen Samuels as an "H" for H‑back, after previously calling him a fullback/tight end. While Samuels has never been easily labeled, he has always been a playmaker. The ACC now has an "all‑purpose" po‑ sition, which might help him earn some postseason honors, though other awards might still put him in the tight end category. Regardless of how he is referenced, the 5‑11, 228‑pounder is a force on the field. Last season, he caught 55 passes for 565 yards and seven touchdowns, and also rushed 33 times for 189 yards and six scores. Samuels' success at NC State is not a surprise to those that know him best. Then Charlotte Mallard Creek offensive coordina‑ tor Aaron Brand made sure Samuels was a complete player when he arrived in Raleigh. "Coach Brand would have me know the whole offense in high school," Samuels said. "Once you know the whole offense, then you can master it." It didn't take NC State fullbacks/tight ends and special teams coordinator Eddie Faulkner to realize he had recruited a rare diamond in the rough. Faulkner recruits the Charlotte area for the Wolfpack and knew he had to lock up the player now known as "J‑Sam." "Not to put Jaylen on a pedestal, but he is really special," Faulkner said. "This is my 16th year coaching, and I've never had any‑ body like him. I will probably not have an‑ other one like him because of what he can do and how well he does each of those things." Brand, who is now the head coach at Charlotte Vance, was the first to understand Samuels' unique talents. He came up with a role that took advantage of Samuels' ability to run and catch the football. "I invented it," Brand said. "Everybody wanted to make him a fullback, but he's too good with the ball in his hands." "I just brought the H‑back back — the old Larry Centers position and those type of guys." Centers is a flashback to a different era. The former three‑time Pro Bowler for the Arizona Cardinals caught 101 passes for 962 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 78 times for 254 yards and two scores in 1995. He finished his lengthy NFL career (1990‑2003) with 827 catches for 6,797 yards and 28 touchdowns, and had 615 car‑ ries for 2,188 yards and 14 scores. Only time will tell if Samuels can match Centers' NFL career, but his statistics at Mal‑ lard Creek proved to be almost mythical. As a senior, Samuels averaged a score ev‑ ery 2.8 times he touched the ball, finishing with 59 touchdowns. He rushed 109 times for 1,404 yards and 39 scores, and caught 49 passes for 932 yards and 16 touchdowns. "Coach Brand just knew where to put me at in the right place," Samuels said. "He is one heck of a coach, and there aren't many better than him. He really helped me." Mallard Creek head coach Michael Palmieri toyed with the idea of playing Samuels at free safety. Some wondered if he could have been an all‑conference line‑ backer if he pursued that position in col‑ lege. However, Samuels preferred scoring touchdowns compared to making tackles. "He did that at an alarming rate," Brand said of Samuels' ability to get into the end zone. "J‑Sam could have been the lead back, but then you limit his role a little bit. "I would hand the ball to him right and then hand it to him left. Then I'd throw it to him short or throw it to him long. Jaylen was my security blanket." At Mallard Creek, Samuels would get the ball on an end around, line up at quar‑ terback in the "wildcat" and be featured on the shuffle pass. "It is 100 percent the same playbook that NC State runs with Jaylen now," Brand said. "I swear by that guy. He got so strong, so quick. "It would have been a travesty for me and the rest of the offensive staff to not find a way to get him the ball." Brand had deep conversations with for‑ mer Wolfpack offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who is now at LSU in the same position. Canada wanted feedback on how to use Samuels when he arrived in 2014. "Jaylen has tremendous mitts and great eye‑hand coordination," Brand said. ONE OF A KIND NC State Continues To Create Ways To Use Versatile Senior Jaylen Samuels