Football season is finally upon us. The smell of freshly cut grass, the greasy taste of tailgate food and the sounds of shoulder pads clashing return this Saturday in Charlotte. It’s been a long eight months, but the NC State football team finally kicks off its season against the South Carolina Gamecocks at 3 p.m. in Bank of America Stadium.
There has been an unusually large amount of media attention for the majority of the offseason; most of which pertains to the Wolfpack’s most popular position group: the defensive line.
“We use [the attention] as motivation,” senior defensive end Bradley Chubb said. “But we try not to get into it because that causes complacency.”
The front four of preseason AP All-American Chubb, senior defensive tackle Justin Jones, senior defensive tackle B.J. Hill and senior defensive end Kentavius Street have been together since the beginning, and they are looking to finish what they’ve started in Raleigh.
Last year the seniors plus underrated junior defensive end Darian Roseboro racked up 51 tackles for loss and 27 sacks. With the four starters and Roseboro returning, this cohesive unit is often regarded as the best in the ACC.
“We’re brothers and we take that to heart,” Hill said. “We always hang out with each other and spend time watching film together. I think that connection, that bond we have together makes us who we are.”
The defensive linemen take the word teammate to a different level. They have established an off-the-field connection which has translated to their success on the turf; in fact, BleacherReport.com ranked NC State’s defensive line as the fifth-best in the NCAA, trailing only Clemson, Ohio State, Florida State and Alabama.
“Our unity makes us special,” Chubb said. “We love each other so much we don’t want to let each other down. We just go out there and play our hardest.”
Every guy has his niche on the defensive front. While Chubb might get all of the glory for his sack and tackle-for-loss numbers, Hill, Street and Jones echo his efforts. While Street rushes off the end, Hill and Jones, tackles weighing a hefty 315 and 312 pounds, respectively, grind it out in the trenches. The anchors of the inside pride themselves on not giving up an inch to the opposition.
“To be a good defense, it starts with a good nose tackle,” Hill said. “And I take that personally, I feel like it starts with me…you name it [Jones] brings it. I’m glad I’ve played beside him going into our fourth year.”
Chemistry and unity is a common theme among this Wolfpack defense. Eight of 11 starters are returning from last year which should bode well for the Pack. However, senior defensive back Shawn Boone and senior cornerback Mike Stevens being the only veterans in the secondary raises questions.
A thin NC State secondary will put the pressure on the defensive line’s ability to rush the quarterback, but Stevens missing the opener due to a leg injury further increases the importance of the Pack’s pass rushers.
“We try not to pay attention to anything on the back end,” Street said. “Just make sure that we are doing our job to the fullest.”
The defensive line is more than up to the task. After putting in countless hours in the weight room, extended time watching film, bonding off the gridiron and perfecting their craft for four years, this tight-knit group looks to put the NCAA on notice.
“They’re not selfish,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “Even though they get a lot of individual talk, I think they care a lot more about how they play together than anything and that’s unique… this group has been a pleasure to be around because of how they work together, and there isn’t a unit on our team that can say they work harder than the D-linemen.”
The premature analysis will end in just three days’ time as the Wolfpack steps on the field in Charlotte to take on the Gamecocks. And frankly, these athletes can’t wait to get down to business and get the season underway.
“Everything’s coming together good,” Chubb said. “This whole week we’ve been putting in the install pretty much, so everybody’s just playing fast and trying to learn as fast as possible because we’ve got another week, next week, to polish up on it.”
