NC State Has National Award Winners in Back-to-Back Years for 1st Time Ever

NC State Redshirt Graduate Senior Center Garrett Bradbury won the Rimington Trophy last week, becoming only the 4th NC State player to win a National Award.

2018: C Garrett Bradbury, Rimington Trophy (Best Center)
2017: DE Bradley Chubb, Nagurski (Best Defensive Player) & Hendricks Awards (Best Defensive End)
1996: PK Marc Primanti, Groza Award (Best Kicker)
1979: C Jim Ritcher, Outland Trophy (Best Interior Offensive/Defensive Lineman)

After Center Jim Ritcher won the Outland Trophy in 1979, seventeen years passed before Place Kicker Marc Primanti took home the Groza Award. It would be 21 more years before the next Wolfpack player brought home some hardware. Last Season Bradley Chubb matched the total amount of National Awards won by NC State players in school history all by himself, taking home the Hendricks and Nagurski trophies.

It took 17 years for NC State to win their 1st two National Awards. The Wolfpack has brought home three in the past 2 seasons.

It’s worth noting that neither Bradbury or Chubb won their awards playing the position they were playing when they arrived in Raleigh, but I’ll write more on that later.

These awards are huge for the individual players, bring the team national recognition, and help in recruiting.

Here’s to hoping the past two years are the beginning of a new trend.