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Nate Irving loved playing football in Carter-Finley Stadium as a member of the Wolfpack.  In fact, he still can’t wait for football to begin in Carter-Finley Stadium.  Check out his tweet from earlier today:

Tomorrow a lot of players will run out of the tunnel for the very first time.  On the other side of the coin, tomorrow will be the last “first game of the season” some players will ever have in Raleigh.  Players will be filled with excitement and nerves.

Looking back, Irving remembers the nerves of his very first game for the Wolfpack, and what he remembers was panic, instead of a majority of the plays in the playbook.

“The first time I was suiting up for a college game I was so nervous.  I forgot about half of the playbook,” said Irving.  “All I could think about was “hit them before they hit you”…and “don’t get ran over.”
Every player has a different routine before they hit the field.  They will listen to whatever music works for them, but when there is three minutes till kickoff, the red lights will turn on in the locker room, and the white lights will go off.  Silence will fill the room and focus is the only thing on the menu for three minutes.  Irving remembers what it was like to focus prior to running out on the field, literally day-dreaming of the other teams plans.
“Before every game I made sure I stretched with teammate Bobby Floyd,” said Irving. “After the stretch, I would leave and go sit down and just think about things that other coaches might try to do to our defense, and envision myself making plays.”
The Wolfpack only has 11 Seniors running out on the field tomorrow night, and Irving remembers all of the emotions that came with the knowledge that this was the beginning of his final season.
“The first game of my last season was a special one.  I missed the year before because of my car accident so I didn’t know what to expect,” said Irving.  “I was nervous if I was still going to be able to run and tackle?  Would my leg hold up?  Is my lung ok?  It was a very emotional time for me.”
Last season NC State came out of the gate and almost lost to Georgia Southern.  If it wasn’t for a 35-yard touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett to Matt Dayes with under two-minutes to play, the Wolfpack would have walked out of Week 1 with a loss.  Some players have a hard time getting up for the Troy’s of the world, and live for the hype of the big opponent.  That was never a problem for Irving.
“I approached every game the same.  I was a leader during my time and I would feel like I cheated myself and my teammates and coaches if I didn’t prepare the same…week in and week out,” said Irving. “To me, it wasn’t about who we were playing.  It was about making sure we were ready for anybody we faced.”

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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Pack in the Pros

Former NC State Defensive End Savion Jackson is Receiving Interest from NFL Teams

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3 days ago

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April 13, 2024

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Former NC State Defensive End Savion Jackson is receiving interest from NFL teams. Thus far, those teams are the Rams, Chargers, 49ers, and Broncos.

Last season as a Senior, Jackson had 40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks in 12 games for the Wolfpack. His Run Defense grade on PFF was 80.6, ranking 4th on the team.

According to current projections, Jackson projects to be taken on Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft, or picked up as an Undrafted Free Agent.

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Former All-NC State Forward Richard Howell Named Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach at Green Hope

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4 days ago

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April 11, 2024

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Former All-ACC NC State Forward Richard Howell has been named the new Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach at Green Hope High School right down the road in Cary, North Carolina.

“I am thrilled to join the Green Hope family and lead the varsity men’s basketball team,” Coach Howell expressed. “My journey in basketball has been incredibly rewarding, and I am excited to share my knowledge and passion for the game with the talented athletes at Green Hope.”

Principal Alison Cleveland commented on the hire, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Coach Howell to Green Hope High School. His impressive background and dedication to the game will undoubtedly inspire our student-athletes to reach new heights both on and off the court.” (Green Hope)

Howell earned 1st Team All-ACC honors as a member of the Wolfpack back in 2013, when he averaged 12.7 points and 10.9 boards per game. His 1,055 career rebounds rank 5th in NC State history, and his 392 offensive boards rank 1st.

On December 15th, 2012, Howell snagged 19 rebounds, which is tied for the 2nd most in a single game in program history. Howell played 132 career games for the Wolfpack, which ranks 5th in NC State history.

After graduating from NC State, Howell had a couple of stints in the D-League (now called the G-League), but ultimately had a long career overseas, playing in Italy, France, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Israel from 2013-2023.

Congratulations Richard! Raise up some talent and send them down the road to NC State!

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T-Wolves Sign Former NC State Forward TJ Warren for Remainder of the Season

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3 weeks ago

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March 27, 2024

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Back during the first week of March, former All-ACC NC State Forward TJ Warren signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After finding success as a scoring option off the bench, the T-Wolves signed him to another 10-day contract.

With only 11 games remaining in the regular season, Minnesota went ahead and signed him for the rest of regular season yesterday.

In the 7 games Warren has played for the T-Wolves, he has averaged 4.1 points per game in 14.0 minutes of play, shooting 47.8% from the field and 38.2% from beyond the arc.

Warren has not played in Minnesota’s past two games, but he has a chance to prove his worth once again tonight in the T-Wolves matchup vs. the Pistons. As things currently stand, Minnesota sits in 3rd place in the Western Conference.

Here’s a look at the former ACC Player of the Year’s stats over 10 seasons.

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Former NC State All-American Nyheim Hines Signs 1-Year Deal With Cleveland

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1 month ago

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March 13, 2024

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Former NC State All-American Nyheim Hines has signed a 1-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth up to $3.5 million.

Maybe Cleveland will use Hines to his full potential. If you’re not using him as a Swiss Army Knife in the passing game, you’re wasting an opportunity.

The former All-ACC Running Back Hines missed all of last season due to a torn ACL he suffered in a boating accident.

This will be Hines’ 7th season in the NFL.

When you look at what former NC State players have done in the NFL, Hines ranks in the Top-10 in Rushing and Receiving.

His 1,015 rushing yards ranks 7th in school history and his 10 rushing touchdowns rank 9th. Hines’ 240 receptions rank 8th and his 1,778 receiving yards rank 10th.

In the return game, he’s one of the best to represent NC State in the NFL as well. His 1,015 punt return yards ranks 2nd in school history and his 817 kickoff return yards rank 6th. Hines’ 2 punts returned for TD’s ranks 3rd, and his 2 kickoffs taken to the house ranks 1st.

 

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