The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/862569
30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER "Because of his height, it's hard to see in there," Doeren said. "He's coming behind [redshirt junior right tackle] Will Richardson, who is 6-6. You got him and [redshirt junior left guard] Terronne Prescod in a combina- tion scheme or whatever, and he pops that hole and cuts back. He is really dangerous." Doeren also said to not sleep on Hines' ability to make some things happen between the tackles despite his size. "He doesn't look at himself as a little back and looks at himself as a guy who can run over people, too," the coach said. "He wants to prove it. I like that about him." Hines' speed is so unique for a running back that he even has improved the play of his defensive teammates. Senior nickel Shawn Boone is often tasked with the chore of trying to cover Hines in practice, and Boone is learning tricks that should help him versus opposing backs who might be faster than him down the road. "It always makes me better because I'm not the fastest guy, but I know the technique I have to use," Boone said. "He's a fast verti- cal guy, so I always have to get on top of him and not let him get on top of me. He is definitely fast." Hines hopes this is the year he breaks out but more importantly the team reaches dou- ble figures for wins. The Wolfpack went 7-6 a year ago, but left a lot of 'what if' moments on the field. "Ten-win season is the only goal I have for myself," Hines said. "Double digits and an injury-free season and everything else is up to the Lord and our coaching staff and the other players." ■ Just 25 games into his career, Hines ranks fifth in school history with 1,702 career kickoff return yards. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Nyheim Hines' Career Stats Receiving Rushing Kickoff Returns Year GP-GS Plays Rec.-Yds. TD Att.-Yds. TD Ret.-Yds. TD 2015 13-5 392 20-256 1 48-243 0 35-920 1 2016 12-6 410 43-525 0 13-44 0 32-782 1 Totals 25-11 802 63-781 1 61-287 0 67-1,702 2 Nyheim Hines is ACC sprint champion fast, but he's hardly the first two-sport contributor with world-class speed to suit up for the Wolfpack. Here are five former players who could give him a run for his money. Alvis Whitted was recruited from Hillsborough, N.C., to run for Rollie Geiger's track and field team, and he turned it into a nine-year NFL football career and a trip to the Super Bowl. Whitted, likely the fastest sprinter in Wolfpack history, still owns the school record in both the outdoor 100 meters (10.02 seconds) and the indoor 55 meters (6.0 seconds). He thrilled the crowds at Carter-Finley as a receiver and kickoff return specialist, scoring on a 97-yard touchdown at Maryland as a sophomore and a 96-yard return against Florida State. He might have been an Olympian in 1996 had he not been facing two of the fastest sprinters of all time, Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars out of NC State, he also played for the Atlanta Falcons and was a member of the Oakland Raiders team that lost to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII. He retired following the 2007 season. Danny Peebles grew up only a few miles from the NC State campus, and he spent much of his youth working out at the Paul Derr Track. But as he circled the track, he often kept a wandering eye on the football team practicing inside the track and on nearby fields. He helped the Wolfpack win an NCAA track relay championship as a freshman and earned track All-America honors nine times. He had a chance to compete for a spot in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but declined an invitation because the timing of the Games would have forced him to miss up to four football games. He was taken in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and played three seasons until his career ended with a significant neck injury. Peebles' son Dylan just completed his freshman year as a member of the Wolfpack track team, setting a school record in the indoor 4x400 relay and winning an ACC championship as a member of the outdoor 4x100 relay. T.J. Graham, the son of two Olympians who also grew up working out on Derr Track, had similar world-class speed that he used as a wide receiver and punt returner in football and as a sprinter on the track. Graham grew up working out with Wolfpack kicker Marc Primanti and shagged punts for the football team after practice. He had a 100-yard kickoff return against Boston College as a freshman, the first of the four return touchdowns of his career (two kickoff and two punt). Graham has played for six professional teams and was signed this summer by the Carolina Panthers. Perry Williams was a high school track champion at Hamlet (N.C.) Richmond County High School who was signed to play defensive back by Bo Rein. As a part-time sprinter, Williams won an ACC outdoor title in the 200 meters, set the school record in the indoor 55 meters and was a 1983 indoor All-American in the 60 meters. A seventh-round pick of the New York Giants in 1983, Williams blossomed in the NFL, earning All-Rookie honors and helping the Giants win two Super Bowls (XXI and XXV). Williams and placekicker Mike Cofer are the only two former Wolfpack players to win multiple Super Bowls. Izel Jenkins of Wilson, N.C., came to NC State as a long sprinter and hurdler for the track and field team who ended up as a longtime professional football player. Jenkins earned All-America honors on the track in 1984 when he finished second in the 500-yard race at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. He also won an ACC title in the 400-meter hurdles. He walked on to the football team under head coach Dick Sheridan to play defensive back and stepped into a big role in the 1986 game against North Carolina, where he made nine tackles in his first career start as a replacement for the injured Nelson Jones. An 11th- round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1988 draft, he played five seasons in Philly and split the 1993 season with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants. Others who could compete: Tobais Palmer, WR/RB; Darrell Blackman, WR/KOR; Roland Hooks, RB/PR; Koren Robinson, WR/KOR; Torry Holt, WR/PR; Mike Quick, WR; and Dee Dee Hoggard, DB. — Tim Peeler NC State's Fastest Football Players