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Recently ESPN posted an in depth look at former NC State and NFL standout Adrian Wilson, and how his love for shoes and fashion drives his secondary career now that he has retired from the NFL.  It all started for Wilson when he was growing up in High Point, NC when his older brother, William (passed away in 1997), gave Adrian a hand-me-down pair of basketball shoes that were too big for him. This didn’t stop him from stuffing socks into the toes in order to make them tight enough to wear though.

Juanita Guy, Adrian’s mother recalls how he would meticulously take care of his shoes, even scrubbing them with a toothbrush as well as washing the shoe laces.  Fast forward to present day and that same passion for shoes have helped Wilson accumulate close to 10,000 pairs of shoes…talk about a sneakerhead.  Not only does Adrian enjoy his own collection, but a little over 8 years ago he started his own sneaker store High Point.  You can find his store front in Scottsdale, AZ on Camelback road. The success of his flagship store has been so great that he has expanded to El Paso and has plans to open another in Austin as well.  Wilson has also opened Nove, a women’s boutique in Scottsdale and in El Paso.

Even with the success of these stores Wilson has not settled.  Later this month he will release a private label collection which includes a full line of Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer clothing that he has collaborated with some veterans in the fashion industry.  Adrian Wilson was an early trailblazer in fashion while he was with the Cardinals.  Like many athletes he realized that his appearance is important.  He wanted to put forth the type of image that defined him.  That moment came early in his career when he bought his first tailored suit.

Wilson’s example trickled through the locker room and inspired current Arizona Cardinals’ cornerback Patrick Peterson.  Peterson used to wear t-shirts and polo’s exclusively, but wanted to have a cleaner image in the public, so he consulted Wilson.  Patrick now can be found wearing tailored suits and is more aware of his public image.  It is refreshing to see Wilson having such success after he has finished his NFL career.  So many players find themselves stuck without any real potential after their playing days are over.  Hopefully more athletes will look to Wilson for an example of how to find success off the field. Adrian is a great representative of North Carolina State University!

Be sure to check out the full article on ESPN.com if you get a chance.

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

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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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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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Former NC State Quarterback Jacoby Brissett Signs 1-Year Deal with Pats

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Former NC State Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is signing a 1-year deal with the New England Patriots, rejoining the team that drafted him in the 3rd Round back in 2016.

The deal is worth $8 million.

After the Pats traded away Quarterback Mac Jones to the Jaguars yesterday, it’s abundantly clear what they are planning to do with the 3rd pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

After winning a Super Bowl in his lone season in New England in 2016, Brissett went on to spend 4 seasons in Indy, before spending the next 3 seasons in 3 different cities: Miami, Cleveland and Washington.

Brissett has had a great career as a backup Quarterback through 8 seasons in the NFL, playing in 79 games (starting 48), throwing for 10,574 yards and 51 touchdowns, with 23 interceptions, and a QB Rating of 85.3.

Brissett ranks 5th in NC State history in career passing yards and touchdowns, and 3rd in QB Rating by a former Wolfpack player in the NFL.

Prior to making a dime from New England in 2024, Brissett has made $50.9 million through his first 8 seasons in the league.

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Former NC State Defensive Tackle Justin Jones Signs with Arizona

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Former NC State Defensive Tackle Justin Jones (2014-17) has signed a 3-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals.

The deal is worth a total of $30.1 million, with $19.75 million guaranteed.

Jones spent the past two seasons in Chicago, where he started in every game, recording 101 tackles, 22 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

In 2018, Jones was taken in the 3rd round by the Chargers. After playing in 15 games as a reserve as a rookie, Jones started for the Bolts for the next 3 years before signing with the Bears.

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